Tv-spredning har traditionelt været en monopolvirksomhed og har stort set altid været udført af offentlige monopolforetagender, først og fremmest på grund af det begrænsede antal frekvenser og de betydelige adgangsbarrierer.
Television broadcasting was traditionally a reserved activity. Since its inception, it has mostly been provided by public undertakings under a monopoly regime, mainly as a consequence of the limited availability of broadcasting frequencies and the high barriers to entry.