Media

Background

Luxembourg plays a special role in Europe's audiovisual landscape: situated at the crossroads of French- and German-speaking cultures, it is home to two audiovisual communication giants, namely SES, operator of the ASTRA satellites, and RTL Group, Europe's television and radio broadcaster.

Since the 1930s, Luxembourg recognised the importance of the sector by granting radio broadcasting licences to pioneers of this new technology. This successful initiative was followed by television (RTL) in the 1950s and SES in the 1980s.

Around these two pillars of audiovisual communication, a large number of companies active in the media and communications sectors have set up in Luxembourg, and today constitute an important skills base for the country's economic development.

Households gained access to numerous television programmes by the end of the 1960s. Today, Luxembourg is one of the most cabled countries in Europe.  

In addition to programmes aimed at the residential public, a multitude of audio and audiovisual programmes aimed at other European countries continue to be broadcast from Luxembourg.  

Luxembourg's media landscape

Besides the abundant audiovisual programmes, citizens also benefit from a large number of titles in the national press, as well as a large number of titles in the international press, confirming the country's extensive and pluralist media landscape. There are currently almost 500 professional journalists in Luxembourg, who are federated in the Association luxembourgeoise des journalistes profressionnels (ALJP). The publishers, for their part, are grouped within the Association luxembourgeoise des médias d'information (ALMI).

The Law of 8 June 2004 on freedom of expression in the media provides, amongst other, for the protection of sources and privacy, regulates relations between journalists and publishers and organises the right of reply.

The government supports the analysis by co-financing the academic study of media performed by the University of Luxembourg.  

The SMC's strategic objective in the context of media in Luxembourg

The SMC aims to promote opinion formation and critical debate through a varied, pluralistic and independent media landscape.