Europe's couch potatoes dished up local content TV diet

Most European TV channels dished up a majority of programmes produced on the continent in 2008, in line with a rule of 50 percent EU content, the European Commission said Thursday.

Not up to European Union standards were Sweden, with only 45.5 percent EU productions, Slovenia with 44.6 and Cyprus with 30 percent.

Denmark was highest achiever, with its networks offering 84.8 percent of shows made across the 27-nation bloc. France had 71.7 percent, Luxembourg 70.7 and Belgium 69.1 percent.

All EU member nations were up to scratch regarding a separate EU regulation calling on networks to offer 10 percent of time or of their programme budgets to independent productions - they accounted for an average 34.1 percent of TV time across the EU.