The new RTVA affects Basel's private broadcasters

The two Basel-based private broadcasters Telebasel and NW1 will soon have to sit down at the same table, as the Federal Office of Communications Bakom is only awarding one license in the Basel region, which is linked to the cash injection from the new Radio and Television Act (RTVA). As the Basler Zeitung reports, the other broadcaster would have to accept existential competitive disadvantages. According to estimates, the money from the SRG fee pot for private TV stations in Switzerland amounts to CHF 2 million, which is likely to be lost for the Basel region. NW1 has already made several approaches regarding the concession, but its willingness to enter into talks has remained one-sided. In this context, the Basler Zeitung quotes the editor-in-chief of Telebasel, Willy Surbeck, who finds it completely pointless to merge two stations that both pursue the same thing. However, the NW1 negotiating delegation has already been told that it should occasionally submit proposals for cooperation. However, NW1 sees things differently: the ball is clearly in Telebasel's court to resume talks.