Illegal fee?

[mrjack]

In Finland we have a national broadcasting company called Yleisradio OY or YLE. The government owns about 99,98% of it and it is funded mostly through a television fee which is mandatory for people who have a receiver that allows them to watch TV channels. Yleisradio broadcasts several TV and radio channels. The positive aspect is the fact that the YLE TV channels for example have no ads because of the fee.

I have been wondering if the fee is illegal based on the facts that we have freedom of religion and conscience yet the national TV and radio channels broadcast Christian church services. So if you own equipment that allows you to watch TV channels, you're forced to fund the proselytizing of a religion you don't belong to. I'd say that this is a pretty clear breach of the civil rights of people who are not Christians, but then again I'm not a lawyer.

I've been thinking about sending an email about this to various freethinker and atheist organizations in Finland, but I'd like to be sure there is a case to start with. What's your opinion?

[fr0d0]

There's a similar debate with the BBC in the UK. There's a daily service and thought for the day on Radio 4 which is predominantly Christian. Here's an example: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/articl...iever.html

Richard Dawkins is entitled to his point of view that religious people do not have the monopoly on ethics. As a religious person, I should agree with him.

But I would agree more with anyone who said that they did not want a preacher, religious or otherwise, telling them what to think before eight o'clock in the morning.

A well-known Victorian clergyman, Hawker of Morwenstow, was once visited by a stranger in his remote Cornish parish. And because Hawker was also a famous poet at the time, the stranger kept badgering him with questions about his views on life.

Eventually, Hawker took the stranger to a window and showed him the cliffs and the sea. 'Those are my views,' said Hawker. 'My opinions I keep to myself.'

If only the BBC followed his advice.

[leo-rcc]

In our country we have the same system. But here all religions can get equal time, but it depends on the ratings how much each actually get. So we have Islamic programs, Catholic. Reformed, and even the Humanist Society (Humanistich Verbond) has a program. So in that sense as long as you make the threshold you get airtime.