Since 2001, the Flemish government does not levy licence fees anymore, as is, for instance, still the case today in the UK. Instead, a small portion of Flemish taxpayers’ money is used to partially fund the public broadcaster VRT. According to 2019 figures, the average Flemish person paid EUR 40.6 annually (VRT, 2019), with the average household having a monthly income of approximately EUR 2,250.
An average annual subscription for a Flemish newspaper in June 2020 cost around EUR 35 per month, with 31.50 for the biggest newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, EUR 38.50 for quality newspaper De Standaard, and EUR 45.50 for business newspaper De Tijd. All newspapers offer various formulas to predominantly read online and to receive the print newspaper only once a week or every day, seasonal discounts, and combo packages with other magazines of the same media company.
Broadband access is fairly expensive in Belgium, mainly due to the near-duopoly of providers, Telenet and Proximus. Orange is a third established player but is far less popular. A 2017 study ordered by the then-liberal telecommunications minister Alexander De Croo (Belgian Federal government) indicated that Belgians paid roughly twice as much per month for combined phone, Internet, and television services than the French (EUR 73.52 versus 36.43). Belgians also paid considerably more than their other neighbours (De Standaard, 2018). Endeavours to have a fourth telecom player in the Belgian market have proven unsuccessful as of yet.
