Federal Council slaps the St. Galler Tagblatt AG
Tele Ostschweiz and Radio Aktuell are hindered by a monopoly
Tele Ostschweiz and Radio Aktuell are hindered by monopolyWhenever radio or TV licenses are at stake, St.Galler Tagblatt AG stumbles over its own media monopoly. For the first time, however, the Federal Council is now rapping the NZZ subsidiary on the knuckles. The Federal Council has now granted St.Galler Radio Aktuell the districts of Toggenburg and Wil, which means that it can be received in almost the entire canton of St.Gallen, in Appenzell and in the districts of Arbon and Bischofszell. Aktuell did not receive a license for the rest of Thurgau, where Radio Top remains the sole top dog.
It will also be allowed to broadcast as far as St.Gallen, Rorschach and Gossau as well as the districts of Gaster and See - the latter, according to the Federal Council, "at the request of the St.Gallen government". Radio Top will also be allowed to cover Schaffhausen. Conversely, Radio Munot receives the license for the Schaffhausen-Winterthur axis, but not for the one to Bülach.
If the decisions made by the Federal Department of the Environment, Energy, Transport and Communications (Uvek) on October 29, 2001 and April 13, 2000 - albeit in the TV sector - are also taken into account, the following rough picture emerges for the electronic media in Eastern Switzerland: Radio Aktuell and Tele Ostschweiz now have an almost identical broadcasting area, which is mainly limited to the cantons of St.Gallen and Appenzell.
The territories of Radio and Tele Top are also virtually identical, but they cover the triangle Winterthur - St.Gallen - Schaffhausen. The situation is different in Schaffhausen: Radio Munot can extend to Winterthur, while Schaffhausen TV remains limited to its own canton. Schaffhausen and St.Gallen are not satisfied and are considering complaints.
In the justifications for the decisions mentioned, the authorities are always avowedly concerned with "strengthening media diversity" - especially in St.Gallen. Rachel Mader from the Federal Office of Communications was quoted in the St.Galler Tagblatt newspaper as saying that the Federal Council wanted to allow adequate competition from the media monopolist from St.Gallen with the license for Radio Top.
The St.-Galler-Tagblatt Group heard something similar on April 13, 2000. At that time, the Uvek justified its decision to allow Tele Top to broadcast to St.Gallen as follows: "In addition, the department hopes that the licensing of Tele Top will increase media diversity in the St.Gallen area, which is currently dominated by one company." Markus Knöpfli
It will also be allowed to broadcast as far as St.Gallen, Rorschach and Gossau as well as the districts of Gaster and See - the latter, according to the Federal Council, "at the request of the St.Gallen government". Radio Top will also be allowed to cover Schaffhausen. Conversely, Radio Munot receives the license for the Schaffhausen-Winterthur axis, but not for the one to Bülach.
If the decisions made by the Federal Department of the Environment, Energy, Transport and Communications (Uvek) on October 29, 2001 and April 13, 2000 - albeit in the TV sector - are also taken into account, the following rough picture emerges for the electronic media in Eastern Switzerland: Radio Aktuell and Tele Ostschweiz now have an almost identical broadcasting area, which is mainly limited to the cantons of St.Gallen and Appenzell.
The territories of Radio and Tele Top are also virtually identical, but they cover the triangle Winterthur - St.Gallen - Schaffhausen. The situation is different in Schaffhausen: Radio Munot can extend to Winterthur, while Schaffhausen TV remains limited to its own canton. Schaffhausen and St.Gallen are not satisfied and are considering complaints.
In the justifications for the decisions mentioned, the authorities are always avowedly concerned with "strengthening media diversity" - especially in St.Gallen. Rachel Mader from the Federal Office of Communications was quoted in the St.Galler Tagblatt newspaper as saying that the Federal Council wanted to allow adequate competition from the media monopolist from St.Gallen with the license for Radio Top.
The St.-Galler-Tagblatt Group heard something similar on April 13, 2000. At that time, the Uvek justified its decision to allow Tele Top to broadcast to St.Gallen as follows: "In addition, the department hopes that the licensing of Tele Top will increase media diversity in the St.Gallen area, which is currently dominated by one company." Markus Knöpfli
