Freezing index increases to Yle funding
Act temporarily amending section 3 of the Act on the State Television and Radio Fund
No index increases matching the rise in cost levels will be made to the funding Yleisradio receives from the state in 2017 and 2018. The annual appropriation received by the company will remain unchanged at approximately 508 million euros.
- Status
- Passed
- Submitted
- 15 Sep 2016
- Latest event
- 18 Nov 2016
- Votes
- 1
- Speeches
- 14
- Confirmed
- 16 Dec 2016
- Statute
- 1170/2016
- Source
- eduskunta.fi ↗
What is proposed
The annual index adjustment of the appropriation under the Act on the State Television and Radio Fund will not apply in 2017 and 2018, temporarily freezing the index increases for Yleisradio Oy's public service funding.
What it means
The amendment concerns Yleisradio Oy and the central government budget. Yle's annual appropriation will remain at 507,948,000 euros, reducing the company's revenue by an estimated 5.5 million euros in 2017 and 12.3 million euros in 2018 compared with the index-adjusted level. The company will have to adapt its operations to cover the deficit resulting from rising costs. The act is temporary and in force from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2018.
How Parliament voted
The act ultimately passed without a vote: no MP proposed rejecting it in the final reading. The only vote concerned a detail of the act.
Lausumaehdotus, mietintö / Katja Taimela
Yes won by 97–58.
Government yes, opposition no. 44 MPs were absent. Minutes ↗
Filled dot = yes, ring = no, grey = absent. The seating plan at the time of this vote is not archived, so MPs are grouped by party in indicative seats.
A passed act does not enter into force immediately: the President of the Republic confirms it, and it enters into force on the date set in the act. This act was confirmed on 16 Dec 2016.
Debate in the chamber
What was argued and where each group stood, followed by MPs' speeches verbatim from the parliamentary record. Speeches are shown in their original language.
14 speeches · 8 speakers · 2 debates
Key points of the debate
The debate addressed the temporary freeze on index increases to Yleisradio's funding in accordance with an earlier parliamentary consensus. All parliamentary groups were prepared to comply with the working group's consensus, but disagreement arose over moving Yle's funding outside the central government spending limits. The opposition criticised the Government for delaying the schedule of the transfer and demanded its implementation without delay.
- On what schedule should Yleisradio's funding be moved outside the central government spending limits?
- Do the index freezes jeopardise Yle's journalistic standards and regional operations?
- Should Parliament pay more attention to supporting commercial media facing difficulties?
- National Coalition PartyIn favour
The National Coalition Party (NCP) supported the proposal as part of the overall package of the parliamentary working group. The group affirmed the unanimous intention to move Yle's funding outside the spending limits.
”Koska saamani tiedon mukaan kaikki muut työryhmän tekemät esitykset ovat menossa eteenpäin, niin pidän kyllä erittäin loogisena, että myös tämä asia menee eteenpäin.”
— Arto Satonen - Centre PartyIn favour
The Centre Party (Cen) supported the proposal and considered it justified that Yle also participate in the state's austerity efforts. At the same time, the group highlighted concerns about the plight of commercial media and about securing regional radio operations.
”Mutta kai nyt Ylelle voi vähän jotakin pientä säästöä laittaa.”
— Antti Kurvinen - Social DemocratsIn favour with reservations
The Social Democrats (SDP) accepted the index freeze bound by the parliamentary consensus, although they criticised the cuts. However, the group submitted a proposed statement demanding the immediate return of Yle's funding to outside the spending limits.
”Nyt ihmettelen suunnattomasti, että Yle-rahoituksen siirtämistä ei voida hoitaa ja panna sitä kehyksen ulkopuolelle, ihan kuten on aikaisemmin jo yhdessä sovittu.”
— Maria Tolppanen - GreensIn favour with reservations
The Greens considered it important to respect the decisions of the parliamentary working group and secure Yle's funding. The group supported the demand to move Yle's funding outside the spending limits to guarantee its independence.
”Se, että Yleisradio on riippumaton hallituksen kulloisistakin poliittisista linjauksista, on hirveän tärkeää.”
— Jyrki Kasvi
This digest was generated by AI from 14 speeches 13 Sep 2026. Group positions are read from the speeches, not from votes; quotations were checked verbatim against the record.
Yleiskeskustelu päättyi. Eduskunta hyväksyi hallituksen esitykseen HE 146/2016 vp sisältyvän lakiehdotuksen sisällön mietinnön mukaisena. Lakiehdotuksen ensimmäinen käsittely päättyi.
Keskustelu päättyi ja asian käsittely keskeytettiin.
Stages of consideration
The bill's path from the preliminary debate to the decision, as recorded by Parliament.
- 15 Sep 2016Eduskuntakäsittelyn vireilletulo · Liikenne- ja viestintäministeriö
- 21 Sep 2016Lähetekeskustelu · Täysistunto
- 27 Oct 2016Valiokunnan mietintö tai lausunto · liikenne- ja viestintävaliokunta
- 8 Nov 2016Ensimmäinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 16 Nov 2016Toinen käsittely · Täysistunto
- 17 Nov 2016Eduskunnan vastaus ja kirjelmä
Decisions by law proposal1
- 1Laki valtion televisio- ja radiorahastosta annetun lain 3 §:n väliaikaisesta muuttamisestaHyväksytty · 1170/2016 · 16 Dec 2016
Proposed law text
The law proposals in the bill as the Government presented them. The final act may differ after committee consideration.
The law text is shown in Finnish or Swedish from Parliament's official documents; it is not translated into English.
Laki valtion televisio- ja radiorahastosta annetun lain 3 §:n väliaikaisesta muuttamisesta
Eduskunnan päätöksen mukaisesti lisätään valtion televisio- ja radiorahastosta annetun lain (745/1998) 3 §:ään, sellaisena kuin se on laeissa 395/2003 ja 475/2012, väliaikaisesti uusi 3 momentti seuraavasti:
3 §Valtion televisio- ja radiorahasto ja sen varat
Mitä 2 momentissa säädetään määrärahan suuruuden tarkistamisesta vuosittain, ei sovelleta vuosina 2017 ja 2018.
§
Tämä laki tulee voimaan päivänä kuuta 20 ja on voimassa 31 päivään joulukuuta 2018.
Main content of the bill (official)
The summary and title were produced with AI on 2 Sep 2026. They are not official documents – check the details in the original bill. The title and summaries are machine translations of the Finnish AI summaries. Speeches and quotations are always shown in their original language.