13
extend the two-month deadline by eight months at most if this is necessary to ensure that the
application procedure is fair, reasonable, clear and transparent or to supplement the
information in the applications or for other special reasons. Any extension to the deadline
shall be announced publicly.
The Government shall, taking into consideration the television broadcasting of the area in
question as a whole, aim at promoting freedom of speech as well as safeguarding the diversity
of the provision of programmes and the needs of special groups of the public in a way that
best promotes the aims provided in section 1.
Section 26
Granting a licence for public interest television operations
The capacity needed for public interest television operations is prescribed by Government
Decree issued on the basis of section 95(1) to safeguard freedom of speech, the diversity of
communications and the multitude of programmes.
Ficora shall follow the procedure in sections 23 and 25(1) in granting a programming
licence for public interest multiplexes referred to in subsection 1.
A programming licence must be granted if:
1) the applicant has paid the application fee set out in section 285;
2) the broadcasts are freely available;
3) the broadcasts are available throughout Finland with the exception of the Åland Islands
Region;
4) the broadcasts contain daily Finnish or Swedish programmes;
5) the broadcasts contain daily news and current affair programmes;
6) the broadcasts contain audio-subtitling and subtitling services referred to in section 211;
and
7) the applicant has submitted an adequate statement regarding programme distribution
management.
In preparing the decision, Ficora shall, if needed, consult with the Ministry of Transport and
Communications and act in cooperation with it.
If there is not adequate transmission capacity for all applicants that meet the requirements of
subsection 3 or if granting a programming licence could have a significant effect on the
general development of the communications market, the licence is granted by the
Government. Ficora shall publish the information and notify the applicant that the matter has
been transferred to a competent authority. Within two weeks of the transfer, an applicant for a
licence may submit an application augmented by the planned programme content to the
Government.
The Government shall grant a licence to the applicant who best meets the requirements laid
down in subsection 3 and section 25(1) and (5). The Government shall decide on the matter
within the time period referred to in section 25(4).
A public interest programming licence may only be granted to one undertaking of a group
referred to in Chapter 1(6) of the Accounting Act.
It is the licencing authority’s duty to oversee that the public interest programming licence
holder will have adequate terrestrial television capacity necessary for the broadcasting.
Section 27
Programming licence terms
A programming licence may be granted for a maximum period of ten (10) years.