Bill on political commercials on television in the consultation process

 
Licensed radio and TV broadcasters that receive a share of fees should provide free broadcasting time to political parties and voting committees before federal elections. This is what the National Council's Political Institutions Committee (SPK) is calling for in a bill to amend the Radio and Television Act. The bill, initiated by Zurich SP National Councillor Andreas Gross, has been clearly approved by the SPK and has now been sent out for consultation until November 30. The aim of the bill is to better inform and motivate the population before the federal elections, writes the SDA in a press release. In addition, the bill is intended to enhance the status of political parties as traditional opinion leaders in the formation of popular opinion and will and to ensure greater fairness in voting campaigns. For this reason, parties with a strong parliamentary group and initiative or voting committees will in future be able to place advertisements free of charge on certain radio and television programs.
The spots could be a maximum of thirty seconds long and not exceed a total duration of three minutes per day and medium. The broadcasting period would be limited to the weeks from the fifth-last to the second-last Saturday before the referendum. The SRG and private broadcasters who receive a share of the fees would be obliged to broadcast the spots. How exactly the broadcasting times are allocated to the parties, initiative and referendum committees is to be regulated at a later date in an ordinance of the Federal Assembly.