In a referendum, Liechtenstein voters decide to withdraw state funding for the country’s public radio broadcaster, leaving its future uncertain.
In a surprising move, voters in the tiny European nation of Liechtenstein have decided to withdraw state funding for the country’s public radio broadcaster, Radio Liechtenstein.
This decision has left the station’s future in jeopardy.
In a recent referendum, 55.4% of participants voted to scrap the legislation that provides state funding to the radio station.
This funding was set to continue until the end of 2025, amounting to 3.95 million Swiss francs (around $4.6 million) over the next four years.
The referendum was initiated by a small opposition party, Demokraten pro Liechtenstein, which argued that Radio Liechtenstein was receiving an unfair share of the state’s media funding, making up over 70% of the total.
They believe the station should be privatized to level the playing field for other media outlets.
However, the government has expressed doubts about the feasibility of privatizing the radio station, stating that it would be challenging for a private radio station in Liechtenstein to generate enough advertising revenue to sustain itself.
According to the government, Radio Liechtenstein had an average of 11,400 daily listeners in the country in 2021.
Liechtenstein, a tiny principality of around 39,000 people, has close ties with its neighboring countries, Switzerland and Austria, with whom it shares a customs and currency union.
