Information about Christianity is a requirement in new public service contract

The government with the support of the Danish People’s Party has introduced a new contract for public service broadcasting.

It was confirmed earlier this week that up to 400 people will lose their jobs as the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) makes annual budget cuts of 420 million kroner (56 million Euros) by 2020 to comply with the contract.

The new contract entails a 20 % cut throughout the next five years and it also establishes the framework for DR in the next few years. There will be extensive changes in the DR media group, already closing down three radio channels and cutting three out of six TV channels.

What is also worth mentioning is that DR is obligated to convey information about the importance of Christianity in Denmark.

In DR’s range of programmes and platforms it must be clear that our society builds on democracy and springs from Christianity, the new contract says.

“DR must strengthen its output concerning basic cultural, democratic and historical values of the Danish society. Amongst these things are included a strong dissemination of Danish culture and Danish cultural heritage. It must be clear from DR’s range of programmes and media platforms that our society is built on democracy and is rooted in Christianity”, the new contract states.

The new contract has been criticised for disregarding the arm’s length principle and allowing politicians to dictate and micromanage the content of DR.

 “There is neither less nor more arm’s length in the new public service contract compared to the former contract. But when politicians make contracts they may, they can and they should set the framework and obligations for DR’s work,” says Morten Marinus, the media spokesman of the Danish People’s Party according to the party’s news site ditoverblik.dk