Campaign for media freedom insists on a public service discussion
Published: Monday, Aug 12th 2024, 15:33
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The Campaign for Media Freedom is calling for a fundamental debate on the public service: before a decision is made on the initiative to reduce fees, the SRG's performance mandate must be sharpened. Surprisingly, however, it also brings new advertising opportunities for SRG into play.
The SRG's performance mandate must first be defined, only then can the level of fees required for this be discussed, said SVP National Councillor and Action President Manfred Bühler at a media conference in Zurich on Monday.
The fact that the Federal Council had simply extended the existing SRG license by four years and only wanted to revise it after the vote on the popular initiative "200 francs are enough! (SRG initiative)" is the wrong approach.
Central National Councillor Philipp Kutter emphasized the importance of independent private media. However, in order for them to be competitive, the SRG's mandate must be clearly defined. He did not understand why SRG had to acquire Champions League rights at any price when private providers were also available.
The debate on the role of the SRG must be conducted openly, added SVP National Councillor Gregor Rutz. For example, it could also be examined whether the SRG's online advertising ban should be dropped. This could put a stop to the outflow of advertising money to Google and Co. However, SRG would have to be obliged to earmark a portion of this income to private media companies for agency services or user research, Rutz demanded.
Parliament was promised a debate on public service eight years ago during the Billag vote, said FDP National Councillor Peter Schilliger. "We are still waiting for a comprehensive debate today." This must now be made up for.
Parliament will discuss the SRG initiative this year. The Federal Council rejects it, but wants to reduce the media fee from CHF 335 to CHF 300 in two stages by 2029.
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