SRG integrates production company TPC - 40 jobs to be cut
As part of the savings program, SRG will once again take over the production company TPC in full by the beginning of 2020. In addition, a new IT competence center is being built. 40 jobs will be cut, 20 of them through layoffs and early retirements.
SRG expects to be able to save ten million francs per year through the measures, the company announced on Thursday. The current head of TPC, Detlef Sold, must vacate his post by mid-year.
The production center of Swiss Television had been spun off at the beginning of 2000. However, the resulting company TPC, which today employs around 900 people, remained a wholly owned subsidiary of SRG. The re-integration is intended to simplify the organization and coordination of productions and save costs "especially at the management level," according to the statement.
Due to the integration of TPC into SRF, Nathalie Wappler, Director SRF, and Detlef Sold, CEO TPC, have decided by mutual agreement that Detlef Sold will leave the company at the beginning of July. Christoph Gebel, Senior Advisor in the SRF management, will take over the project management of the TPC integration and - together with the TPC management - will be responsible for the detailed concept to be developed. From July and until the start of the new organization in January 2020, Christoph Gebel will also take over the management of TPC.
SRG is currently implementing a savings program amounting to CHF 100 million. The reasons for this are the reduction and capping of fees, falling advertising revenues, restrictions in the digital advertising market and investments in the future.
In order to "conserve programming," measures would be examined primarily in the areas of real estate, infrastructure, technology, production processes and administration. According to Gilles Marchand, SRG is to be reformed in such a way that flexibility and efficiency can be improved while at the same time maximizing the program offering.
At its meeting on Wednesday, the SRG Board of Directors therefore further decided to create a new competence center for IT infrastructure and IT services, digital production and distribution by the beginning of 2020. This will be managed by the subsidiary Swiss TXT in Biel with 179 employees, and the internal IT and infrastructure unit Init with 100 employees will be integrated into it. A social plan is in place for those who have been made redundant.
On the recommendation of the SRG Executive Board, the SRG Board of Directors has decided to integrate the technical production center tpc into SRF for the first time. This is intended to simplify the organization and coordination of production between the enterprise units. The restructuring will enable costs to be saved, particularly at management level. The Board of Directors has commissioned SRG's Executive Board to draw up a detailed concept. Subject to the legally required consultation process, SRG aims to implement the new structure on January 1, 2020.
Due to the integration of TPC into SRF, Nathalie Wappler, Director SRF, and Detlef Sold, CEO TPC, have decided by mutual agreement that Detlef Sold will leave the company at the beginning of July. Christoph Gebel, Senior Advisor in the SRF management, will take over the project management of the TPC integration and - together with the TPC management - will be responsible for the detailed concept to be developed. From July and until the start of the new organization in January 2020, Christoph Gebel will also take over the management of TPC.
National Business Services will also be based at SRF by January 1, 2020 at the latest. These specialized services will comprise around 70 full-time positions in coordination, job planning and in the solution desks, as well as in operational audio, video and data transmission.
The Board of Directors has also decided to form a competence center for IT infrastructure and IT services, digital production and distribution. This competence center is to comprise the Biel-based subsidiary Swiss TXT (179 employees) and SRG's internal IT and infrastructure unit INIT (100 employees). Furthermore, Swiss TXT is and will remain SRG's competence center for access services. Subject to the legally required consultation procedure, this implementation is also to take place on January 1, 2020.
The measures adopted are expected to generate total savings of ten million Swiss francs per year. A reduction of around 40 full-time positions is expected, of which around 20 will be eliminated through redundancies and early retirements. There is a social plan for those affected, which provides for various cushioning measures.
As part of the reforms, the Board of Directors approved a number of other measures that will enable the General Management to make additional savings.
SRG Director General Gilles Marchand commented: "We continue to fundamentally reform SRG in order to optimize flexibility and efficiency while maximizing the programming offer. With the ongoing restructuring, SRG is reducing its costs, optimizing its production processes and downsizing the General Management to be able to focus entirely on the strategic management function."
SRG Board of Directors Chairman Jean-Michel Cina: "With these decisions, we are consistently following the path of the reforms announced on March 4, 2018."
The trade union Schweizer Syndikat Medienschaffende (SSM) criticized in a press release the "hopscotch policy of the SRG leadership". The SRG's reform and savings program consists primarily of postponements, cutbacks, outsourcing, re-integrations and restructurings, without any details of implementation being known.
The SSM called it "scandalous" that once again the employees were paying the high price for "the planning games of the SRG top management". It was time for SRG to reflect on its values and ask itself what and who constitutes a public service company. (hae/pd/SDA)
