SVP makes SRG an election campaign issue

Together with his vice presidents and parliamentary group leader Caspar Baader, Brunner wants to decide on an appeal to party members and SVP sympathizers to refuse to pay the radio and TV fee for the time being. According to Sonntagszeitung, Brunner already has a slogan for it in mind: "Swiss vote SVP and want a balanced SRG." Especially after the appointment of former SRG critic Roger Schawinski as head and host of a new political talk show on Swiss television, "we are under pressure from the party base, which is demanding measures against the nuisance SRG in mails and letters," the party president is quoted as saying in the Sunday paper.

However, the party leadership is also exploring alternatives or additions to the boycott call. For example, it is discussing the launch of a fee halving initiative. This could be achieved by converting the "200 francs are enough" petition. This has been running on the Internet since January 16, 2011. More than 110,000 people have already registered as supporters - and the number is growing daily. The online petition demands that the Billag fees for private households be reduced from today's 462.40 francs per year to 200 francs. If one would send all registered ones in a mass Mail signature sheets, the people initiative should stand in record time. According to Brunner, the SVP is also examining whether and how the national SRG monopoly can be broken or how it could be deprived of FM broadcasting frequencies. Many things are possible, Brunner says. The SRG is forcing the SVP to act.