The Federal Council is against a participation in the news agency SDA

The Swiss Press Agency (SDA) does not currently have a statutory public service mandate. However, the Federal Council is examining the promotion of agency journalism as part of the new media law, as it writes in the statement published on Thursday on a motion by the SP parliamentary group. The consultation process is due to begin in June.

The Federal Council is critical of the Confederation's direct involvement in a news agency. It cites independence of the state and freedom of opinion as reasons for this. In its opinion, participation is also not necessary in order to implement the concerns of the SP.

With the motion, the latter is campaigning for financial support for the SDA. As an alternative, a legal basis for federal participation in a new, non-profit news agency is to be examined.

SP sees basic media supply at risk

According to the SP, the SDA is a central pillar of the public media service. However, the massive reduction in staff is jeopardizing the basic media service in Switzerland, the parliamentary group writes in the justification for its motion. The diversity of information is being called into question, particularly in French- and Italian-speaking Switzerland. This puts pressure on the independent and democratic formation of opinion and will.

The BDP parliamentary group is also campaigning for agency journalism with a motion. It demands that the federal government support services of national importance in order to maintain the scope, quality and national cohesion effect. SDA announced massive job cuts at the beginning of the year. The BDP writes that weakening the SDA would reduce the reliability and quality of its content.

The Federal Council rejects both motions because the foundations for funding are already being laid. Today, the Confederation could support news agencies for their contribution to language exchange within the framework of the Language Act. However, a motion to this effect failed in the National Council.

The Federal Council will soon decide on an amendment to the Radio and Television Ordinance so that the SDA can be supported from the fee pot in the coming years. Media Minister Doris Leuthard has promised an annual sum of two million francs for this purpose.

Fees not for press promotion

The Federal Council also rejected a motion by Beat Vonlanthen, a member of the CVP Council of States from Fribourg. Vonlanthen called for the SRG's fee income to be capped at 1.2 billion to be enshrined in law. In addition, regional and local print media should also be funded from radio and television fees. Vonlanthen would also like to further restrict SRG's advertising and online offerings in order to strengthen media diversity.

According to the Federal Council, most concerns are being examined within the framework of the Media Act. However, it states that there is no constitutional basis for indirect press funding from the licence fee pot. In its statement, the Federal Council also points out that it is not the SRG that is responsible for the declining
advertising revenue from the press. These would flow to the large platforms abroad, he writes in his statement.

The Federal Council does not consider an income-related radio and television fee. It is opposed to a corresponding request from Irène Kälin (Greens/AG).

In his statement, he points out that he has already examined an income-based financing model in connection with the new household tax. At that time, it came to the conclusion that financing via an increase in direct federal tax would place a heavy burden on the middle classes in particular. (SDA)