UBI rejects three complaints against TV broadcasts
The Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI) rejected three complaints against television broadcasts on Friday. In one case, however, the UBI nevertheless found individual shortcomings and selective non-compliance with journalistic due diligence obligations.
This case concerned the "Rundschau" report of March 9, 2016 on the sale of the shares in Hotel- und Thermalbad Vals AG to Stoffel Partizipationen AG Therme Vals in 2012. Based on the criticism of a group from the municipality and an expert opinion, the topic was whether the sale price was far below the market value because hidden reserves were not taken into account. Despite the shortcomings, the UBI found that the challenged persons and in particular the investor Remo Stoffel had been able to adequately comment on the allegations made against them. Controversial statements had been recognizable as such.
A second complaint dealt with concerned the discussion program "Arena" from June 10, 2016 with the title "Frauen am Herd?". In contrast to the complainant, the UBI did not consider the provocative title or the program to be discriminatory. The UBI also found no violation of the principle of fairness, as it announced on Friday.
A complaint against the news program "19:30" on RTS television was also dealt with. In the edition of May 3, 2016, the show had highlighted the precarious medical situation in Aleppo and the extreme field of activity for the few remaining doctors. Although archive footage of a bombed-out hospital was used in a non-transparent manner, the UBI found that the audience was able to form its own opinion on the actual topic of the report. Decisions by the UBI can be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court within 30 days of receiving the written reasons.
More on the decisions at Admin.ch.
