Federal Council extends Corona emergency package for the media
The Federal Council has extended the support measures for the media in light of the COVID-19 crisis. Aid for print media will be extended through June 30, 2021. In addition, the federal government will cover the subscription costs of the Keystone-SDA news agency through the end of 2021.
The extension of the measures will cost the federal government an additional 20 million francs. The support for the media in the Corona crisis was originally limited until the end of November 2020.
With the Covid 19 ordinance's extension for print media until June 30, 2021, the Postal Service can continue to deliver subsidized daily and weekly regional and local newspapers free of charge.
Furthermore, the federal government contributes to the costs of daily delivery of subscribed daily and weekly newspapers with a total circulation of more than 40,000 copies per issue. However, this is only the case if the publishers undertake in writing not to distribute any dividends for the relevant financial year.
In addition, the federal government will assume the costs of the Keystone-SDA news agency for further months, which will be charged to the electronic media. The corresponding Covid-19 regulation electronic media is extended until the end of 2021. For the assumption of the subscription costs, the federal government had provided 10 million francs, which are taken from the radio and television levy. According to Bakom, around CHF 5.2 million of this has been used up to now.
According to the Federal Council, the measures are intended to safeguard the regional public service throughout Switzerland. The coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the structural crisis in the media that has been evident for years. Their advertising revenues have dropped drastically. (SDA)
