Social Democrats want to close Radio IIII and redirect its funding

The Social Democrats want to end the roughly 100 million kroner in annual state funding for Radio IIII and redirect the money to local media and TV 2 Kosmopol, which covers the capital region, DR reports.

The party also wants to fund local newsrooms in Vestegnen and North Zealand, said its culture and media spokesperson, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, in an interview with Politiken. The proposal comes ahead of negotiations on the media agreement for 2027 to 2030.

Culture Minister Zenia Stampe said through her ministry that she could not comment on the negotiations at this stage, Politiken reported.

Radio IIII said in February that it was ready to continue operating ahead of the negotiations. Its broadcasting licence is currently set to expire on New Year’s Eve 2027.

Station director and editor-in-chief Nikolai Thyssen called closing the station “a big mistake” because it would remove an alternative to DR. He told Politiken that Radio IIII serves people with shorter educational backgrounds who live outside the capital, rather than mainly highly educated office workers in the city.

The station began broadcasting in 2019 as Radio4, taking over the frequency previously used by the now-defunct talk radio station Radio24syv. In 2022, the Radio and Television Board criticised the channel, saying it was notable that a state-funded public-service station on an established FM band did not have a larger audience.

Radio IIII underwent a major overhaul in 2024, changing its name and introducing new programmes and presenters. Thyssen said audience measurements showed growth across radio and podcasts. Last year, he withdrew the station from Kantar Gallup’s weekly listener figures. Media agency Dentsu now conducts its measurements.