Punished arrogance
Op-Ed: No matter the outcome of the SRG financial audit, Günter Heuberger hopes that Armin Walpen will be barred from direct access to the Federal Council chamber in the future.
Guest commentary Regardless of the outcome of the SRG financial audit, Günter Heuberger hopes that Armin Walpen will be denied direct access to the Federal Council chamber in the future.The expense allowances of SRG Director General Armin Walpen that have come to light in recent days have once again made me aware of the power that SRG wields and how dangerous it is if this power is not used carefully. As I myself have been in the media business for twenty years, I have been able to follow Walpen's rise from head of the radio and television service of the EVED via a brief excursion into the private sector (Tamedia) and the General Secretariat of the FDJP to Director General of the SRG, and I have long been aware of his personal strengths and weaknesses. As President of the Private Radio Association, I experienced him - whenever the SRG needed the private radio stations - in joint initiatives with the Uvek or Bakom. We were useful in defending against excessive claims by copyright societies or against quota requests from the domestic music industry. When it came to dossiers that were much more important to us (2nd channels, distribution, digitization), Walpen showed us time and again who was in charge of the Swiss electronic media.
But this position is now eroding. Walpen and his predecessors were still able to march into the Federal Council chamber without registering and present their concerns directly to the magistrates. Federal Councillor Leuenberger, with his sense of decency and excessive concentration of power, has already shown the SRG Director General the yellow card several times. He then addressed other federal councillors - in a rather clueless manner - which is no longer so easy since the reduction of the CVP delegation. Armin Walpen fought tooth and nail for the new RTVA. And he once again succeeded in changing liberalization articles such as those on radio sponsorship and special-interest programmes in his favour.
Sometimes I ask myself: Has this man not read or understood the draft law? Not a single decision has gone against his SRG! The fear of foreign influence continues to prevent any domestic competition. As president of the association, I accept the political realities. But I also know that the new technologies are coming faster than many people think. Bandwidths and mobility are the keywords for future success. SRG will feel this more than it would like. Because it won't be possible to build any new defenses against the big telecom companies.
Walpen is happy to continue driving from VIP event to VIP event with a chauffeur. He doesn't see the market developments there. But I - on behalf of the 45 small radio bosses in Switzerland - will quickly realize in the second-class compartment of the SBB what can be implemented in the market.
> Günter Heuberger is Managing Director of Radio and Tele Top and President of the Swiss Private Radio Association.
But this position is now eroding. Walpen and his predecessors were still able to march into the Federal Council chamber without registering and present their concerns directly to the magistrates. Federal Councillor Leuenberger, with his sense of decency and excessive concentration of power, has already shown the SRG Director General the yellow card several times. He then addressed other federal councillors - in a rather clueless manner - which is no longer so easy since the reduction of the CVP delegation. Armin Walpen fought tooth and nail for the new RTVA. And he once again succeeded in changing liberalization articles such as those on radio sponsorship and special-interest programmes in his favour.
Sometimes I ask myself: Has this man not read or understood the draft law? Not a single decision has gone against his SRG! The fear of foreign influence continues to prevent any domestic competition. As president of the association, I accept the political realities. But I also know that the new technologies are coming faster than many people think. Bandwidths and mobility are the keywords for future success. SRG will feel this more than it would like. Because it won't be possible to build any new defenses against the big telecom companies.
Walpen is happy to continue driving from VIP event to VIP event with a chauffeur. He doesn't see the market developments there. But I - on behalf of the 45 small radio bosses in Switzerland - will quickly realize in the second-class compartment of the SBB what can be implemented in the market.
> Günter Heuberger is Managing Director of Radio and Tele Top and President of the Swiss Private Radio Association.
