SRG sells Radio Swiss Pop to BNJ Suisse
Starting in September 2020, the radio station Swiss Pop will be operated by BNJ Suisse, a company based in French-speaking Switzerland. In March 2018, SRG had announced that it was open to selling the stations Swiss Pop, Swiss Jazz, and Swiss Classic, provided that a buyer would continue to operate them in their current form.
The new federal concession in force since January 2019 allows SRG to sell special-interest stations. SRG had already announced in 2018 that it would seek even greater cooperation with Swiss media companies and be open to selling the radio stations Swiss Pop, Swiss Jazz and Swiss Classic, provided a buyer would continue to run them in the current sense. Swiss Pop's radio program consists of more than 50 percent music with a Swiss connection, is unmoderated and has been free of advertising to date.
The SRG Board of Directors has now approved the sale of Radio Swiss Pop. With the company BNJ Suisse from Rossemaison JU, owned by the entrepreneur Pierre Steulet, a buyer with many years of experience in the radio industry is taking over Radio Swiss Pop. The BNJ Group operates the four regional radio stations Radio RJB, Radio RTN, Radio RFJ and Radio GRRIF in the Jura.
The BNJ Group will continue to operate Radio Swiss Pop with the conditions defined by SRG. The station will remain unmoderated, will continue to include at least 50 percent Swiss music and will broadcast a maximum of four advertising minutes per hour. The corresponding contract with a minimum term of four years was signed these days. The station will be transferred to the BNJ Group at the end of summer 2020 and the parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Radio Swiss Pop's market share is 3.6 percent. Radio Swiss Pop will continue to be receivable via DAB+ throughout Switzerland.
