SRG must save 270 million and cut 900 full-time jobs

SRG is facing major challenges. It has to save around CHF 270 million by 2029, partly because the Federal Council has decided to reduce the media levy. The first step in the reduction of the media levy will take place in January 2027, meaning that SRG will already have to save 125 million by then. At the same time, the environment is changing rapidly, people are increasingly using media only digitally and the media landscape in Switzerland, as well as internationally, is changing profoundly.

SRG wants to continue to offer high-quality programming that reaches all sections of the population, but at the same time must respond to the reduction in financial resources. To achieve this, it is fundamentally reorganizing and transforming itself. In June of this year, SRG's management communicated how it intends to approach the transformation. In the meantime, SRG has taken an important first step in fleshing out these plans as part of the "Enavant SRG SSR" transformation project: It has defined the future organizational structure as well as adjusted the management structure and concretized the planned job cuts.

Adapted structures for increased cooperation across regions

SRG is pooling its strengths, becoming more digital, leaner and more agile and working more closely together across the regions in future. Against this backdrop, it is also adapting its management structures and processes. SRG is reducing the size of its Executive Board as of April 1, 2026. In addition to the Director General, it will now have seven instead of eight members - even though the current technology subsidiary SWISS TXT will be fully integrated into SRG. The extended Executive Board remains unchanged with three additional members. The new "Offer" Directorate combines the Offer and Distribution divisions (see organization chart below). At the same time, the scope of the "Operations" directorate is changing, as it now combines technology and production. "I will continue to fight for a strong SRG. That is why we are consistently driving forward the transformation. As a further step, we are reorganizing and downsizing the Executive Board," says Director General Susanne Wille.

The current directors of SRF, RTS, RSI and RTR will be confirmed so that SRG can be steered safely through the transformation. The heads of division and directors who have already been recruited with a view to the future organization and confirmed by the Board of Directors will also be confirmed. The vacant positions in the new "Operations" and "Offer" directorates - in addition to the already advertised position of Director of SRF - will be advertised shortly. At the same time, the management structures in the regions are changing. These will be standardized in order to enable greater cooperation across the regions. The definitive appointments to the regional management teams will be made by the directors of the regions by mid-2026.

Job cuts specified - consultation procedure opened

As already communicated in the summer, the current savings targets will inevitably have an impact on employees. Subject to the consultation process, SRG expects to cut 900 full-time positions across all regions by 2029. Director General Susanne Wille comments: "We regret these job cuts. The political decisions and the environment in which we operate as a media company leave us no other choice. SRG is making the job cuts as responsibly and socially responsible as possible."

One third, i.e. around 300 of the total of 900 full-time positions, will be implemented as part of the ongoing cost-cutting program. These job cuts have already been consulted on and are underway. A further 600 jobs will have to be cut by 2029. Redundancies are unavoidable. Some of the 600 jobs will be cut through staff turnover and retirements, subject to the outcome of the consultation process. The SRG social plan will apply to the planned job cuts.

Next phase and concrete implementation

In the next phase of the "Enavant SRG SSR" project, SRG will prepare the implementation of the decisions taken. The first areas to work according to the new model will be the Human Resources and Finance departments. They will be managed uniformly across SRG from January 2026. The employees in these areas will continue to work in their respective regions, but will operate as part of the SRG Group, thus ensuring greater coherence and synergies between the various locations.

This is how the savings amount is made up

The Federal Council has decided to reduce the media fee for households from CHF 335 to CHF 300 by 2029 and to exempt other companies from this fee. This decision will lead to a reduction in income of CHF 120 million for SRG by 2029. In addition, there will be CHF 90 million less commercial income and an increase in operating costs of more than CHF 60 million due to inflation. According to current assumptions, SRG will therefore have to save a total of CHF 270 million by 2029. This corresponds to around 17 percent of its 2024 budget.