UBI only received complaints about SRG broadcasts
In 2013, the Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI) received a total of 18 new complaints. All of them concerned SRG broadcasts. The most common subject was segments on the program «Rundschau.».
Complaints about reports on Mörgeli
Seventeen complaints concerned information programs, one concerned an advertising spot. Critical contributions about the Zurich SVP National Councillor Christoph Mörgeli in connection with his role as doctoral supervisor were reprimanded several times.
SRF television had reported critically on the way in which doctoral theses were supervised and accepted at the University of Zurich's Institute of Medical History. The reports concerned the time when Mörgeli was a titular professor and curator at the institute and museum. The UBI rejected three of Mörgeli's complaints in December. Mörgeli then appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.
The UBI also received several complaints about allegedly one-sided reporting on the Middle East conflict to the detriment of Israel, as the UBI wrote.
The UBI found violations of the law in two completed proceedings (previous year: four). One case concerned the discussion program "Arena" on SRF television: in a debate on the popular initiative for an unconditional basic income, the UBI found that the principle of fairness had been violated.
Most cases settled by ombudsman offices
The Federal Supreme Court subsequently upheld an appeal by the SRG and overturned the UBI's decision. The second case concerned a report by private television station Tele Bärn about a company that was allegedly in financial difficulties. However, according to the UBI, the thesis of bankruptcy was based on insufficient evidence.
There are far more complaints about radio and television broadcasts than complaints: The ombudsman's office upstream of the UBI received a total of 237 complaints in 2013 - 34 more than in the previous year. 92% of these were finally settled by the ombudsman's office.
