News about a bill to abolish TV licence fee first appeared in Slovakia in August 2011. SaS received back-up from the other coalition factions to pass the bill; however, just three months later, the political situation in Slovakia is different. In fact the bill, seen as part of a political game of tying public media to government has turned out to be a risky move in the light of the latest changes on the Slovak political scene. Recent crisis in the coalition has lead to no-confidence motion for the government and to accelerated elections, set for March 2012. The president has to make a decision about the TV licence fee bill by 9 November 2011, therefore even if the bill is vetoed, under the rules of Slovak law, Parliament would in theory have enough time to block the veto before the elections and ensure that the new law comes into force; however, with coming elections, the future of the current coalition remains uncertain.

 

In 2009-2010 neighbour Poland witnessed two attempts to abolish TV licence fee, both failing, which could be also seen as part of political game. A TV licence fee is paid in nearly all the countries in Central Eastern Europe, with very few exceptions. Outliers include Estonia, where public broadcaster ETV is completely financed through governmental grants; Russia, where public VGTRK receives funds from government in addition to advertising revenues; and public media in Ukraine, which is financed via government funds and advertising.