21 de noviembre de 2023
En National Council’s Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF-N) wants to extend indirect press subsidies for a limited period of seven years. On Monday, it opened the consultation on a corresponding revision of the Postal Services Act.
According to the Commission, smaller publishers should be given financial leeway for digital transformation, the parliamentary services announced.
The Commission had drawn up the bill on the basis of a parliamentary initiative adopted by Parliament. In its view, independent, diverse media fulfill an important function in terms of state and democratic policy. However, the economic situation of the media is increasingly deteriorating. The membership and foundation press is also facing financial challenges. The diversity of the press is therefore at risk at local and regional level.
The Commission considers the temporary expansion of indirect press subsidies to be a suitable medium-term transitional solution for maintaining media diversity. It is thus implementing the parliamentary initiative by National Councillor Christine Bulliard-Marbach (center/FR) “For an independent press, the amounts for indirect funding must be adjusted”.
According to the majority of the committee, the bill would increase the annual contributions from general federal funds for the daily delivery of subscription newspapers and magazines in the regional and local press from the current CHF 30 million to CHF 45 million. For the membership and foundation press, these contributions are to rise from the current CHF 20 million to CHF 30 million.
In addition, the early delivery of subscribed daily and weekly newspapers in the regional and local press during the week is to be promoted. The federal government is to temporarily provide CHF 30 million a year from general funds for this purpose.
These proposals take up elements of the media package that was rejected by the people at the ballot box on February 13, 2022. The responsible parliamentary committees want to relaunch parts of the failed media funding reform, as elements of the media package were undisputed.
For its part, the Council of States’ sister committee (KVF-S) is working on proposals for more money for regional radio and TV stations, the Press Council, journalism training and news agencies.
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