Radio- och tv-lag (2010:696) (Radio and Television Act), accessibility of television broadcasts and on-demand television for persons with disabilities, and the Mediemyndigheten decisions under it

Chapter 3 of the Radio and Television Act defines a media service provider as the person who has the editorial responsibility for the choice of content in a radio or television broadcast, on-demand radio, on-demand television or searchable teletext and decides how the content is structured. Chapter 1 section 2 states that the Act partly implements Directive 2010/13/EU, the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

The Radio and Television Act was issued on 17 June 2010 and entered into force on 1 August 2010. Chapter 5 section 12 requires a media service provider to design the service so that it is accessible to persons with disabilities through subtitling, interpretation, spoken text or similar technology.

Chapter 5 section 12 sets the extent of the accessibility as the Government decides where the provider works under a mandate under the Public Service Act (2025:986) and as the Mediemyndigheten decides in other cases, for a set period. Chapter 5 section 12 requires the provider's financial conditions and the technical development of accessibility services to be taken into account, and requires the provider to prepare an action plan for increasing the accessibility of the service.

Chapter 5 section 12 a requires a media service provider that broadcasts messages of public importance to design them as soon as possible so that they are accessible to persons with disabilities. Chapter 16 section 6 a requires a media service provider to report how a service has been made accessible under a decision under chapter 5 section 12, including the action plan. The Mediemyndigheten supervises the accessibility rules in chapter 5 section 12 where it made the decision.

The Broadcasting Commission (Granskningsnämnden för radio och tv) supervises the accessibility rules in chapter 5 section 12 where the Government made the decision. Chapter 17 section 5 a lets a media service provider that does not follow a decision on accessibility under chapter 5 section 12 be ordered to pay a special fee. Chapter 17 section 6 sets the special fee at not less than SEK 5,000 and not more than SEK 5,000,000.

Chapter 17 section 7 requires the special fee to be paid to the Mediemyndigheten within thirty days of the decision becoming final. Chapter 19 section 4 a assigns the question of the special fee to the Broadcasting Commission where the Government made the decision and to the Mediemyndigheten in other cases, with a five-year limit.

Chapter 20 section 3 allows a decision of the Mediemyndigheten under chapter 5 section 12 on accessibility for persons with disabilities to be appealed to the general administrative court. Lag (2020:875), which gave chapter 16 section 6 a and chapter 17 sections 5 a and 6 their current wording, entered into force on 1 December 2020. Lag (2025:990), which gave chapter 5 section 12 its current wording, entered into force on 2 December 2025.

Lag (2025:990) applies the current wording of chapter 5 section 12 first to broadcasts and provision of programmes after 31 December 2025. The Mediemyndigheten decides what accessibility is required of every media service provider except the public service companies, whose requirements the Government decides.

The Mediemyndigheten's special requirements apply to TV3, TV4, TV6, Sjuan, TV8, TV10, TV12, TV4 Play and Viaplay.se. Linear TV services and on-demand services directed at a Swedish audience with a viewing-time share of one percent or more are subject to special requirements, and services with a lower share are subject to a general requirement to promote accessibility.

A service with special requirements need not meet the obligation to the extent the cost of making programmes accessible exceeds one percent of the service's net turnover. The Mediemyndigheten's decision to TV4 AB applies from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030. That decision requires all pre-recorded programmes in Swedish to be subtitled on all platforms in every period.

The decision requires 68 percent of the broadcast time of live programmes in Swedish to be subtitled in periods 1 and 2, and 71 percent in periods 3 and 4. The decision requires 10 percent of the broadcast time of programmes in Swedish to be made accessible by sign language interpretation in every period. The decision requires 10 percent of the broadcast time of programmes in Swedish to be made accessible by audio description in every period.

The decision requires 20 percent of the broadcast time of non-live programmes with Swedish translation text to be made accessible by spoken text in period 1, and 25 percent in periods 2, 3 and 4. The decision exempts live sports and repeats of live sports from the quantitative requirements for sign language interpretation, audio description and spoken text where it is not technically or practically possible to make them accessible.

The Mediemyndigheten's decision on promotion requires a provider to make at least some programmes accessible by some of the technologies in each period. The decision on promotion requires the making of programmes accessible to increase for each period. The decision to TV4 AB requires it to report after each period how the requirements were met and to attach an action plan for increasing accessibility.

The Mediemyndigheten's decision of 19 August 2026 to Viaplay Group Sweden AB places special requirements on TV3, TV6, TV8, TV10 and the on-demand service Viaplay.se from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030. That decision sets for TV3, TV6, TV8 and TV10 the same quotas for subtitling, sign language interpretation, audio description and spoken text as the decision to TV4 AB. That decision requires every programme in Swedish published on Viaplay.se to be subtitled.

SVT and UR must make programmes accessible by subtitling, sign language interpretation, audio description and spoken text, to an extent the Government decides.