To the point: Rude awakening
The timing was not without a certain irony: on the very last day of this year’s Swiss Press Association congress in Interlaken, it was announced that Radio Energy’s appeal had been rejected by the Federal Administrative Court. Energy came away empty-handed in the reallocation of FM frequencies for the Zurich-Glarus broadcast area.
The timing was not without a certain piquancy: on the last day of this year's congress of the Swiss Press Association in Interlaken, of all places, it became known that Radio Energy's appeal had been rejected by the Federal Administrative Court. Ener¬gy came away empty-handed in the reallocation of FM frequencies for the Zurich-Glarus broadcast area. The decision of the Federal Council was supported by the Federal Administrative Court and is therefore legal. The popular and successful station will therefore only be allowed to broadcast until the end of the year. More than 270,000 listeners will miss their station, and 60 employees will be out on the street.
The reactions at the congress were accordingly. "There is deep disappointment. A media ban on a blameless, good broadcaster is absolutely incomprehensible. Politics has failed if it allows such a concession procedure," said publisher president Hanspeter Lebrument. SVP National Councilor Natalie Rickli was outraged: "It's a huge scandal that the state is shutting down a functioning medium." FDP National Councilor Filippo Leutenegger struck a more moderate tone, saying, "Given the tight regulation of the Radio and Television Act (RTVG), the decision was foreseeable, but it's still incomprehensible."
The new RTVG was a forceps birth. Conrad Meyer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the AG for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, said in an interview with Werbewoche in April 2008 about the RTVG: "A cumbersome, elaborate process in which I ask myself whether these forces that are at play then really lead to the best result." The endless debates in the large and small chambers made the regulations more and more complicated and rigid. The control screws were tightened more and more. The fee splitting advocated by most publishers led to further covetousness on the part of politicians. It was not the market that was supposed to decide, but the performance mandate. The term "public service" became the mantra of the regulators, which was eagerly followed by the radio producers. There was never any talk of a guarantee of vested rights for stations that were established and successful in the market. The expected concession money made them forget the fear of too much state control and regulation. The publishers allowed themselves to be lulled into a lull.
Ringier hoped to the end that their appeal would be successful. Now they want to apply for an interim frequency until broadcasting via DAB+ will be possible.
Regulation triumphed over common sense. The obscure public service won out over market success. Even pithy words are no longer of any help.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
The reactions at the congress were accordingly. "There is deep disappointment. A media ban on a blameless, good broadcaster is absolutely incomprehensible. Politics has failed if it allows such a concession procedure," said publisher president Hanspeter Lebrument. SVP National Councilor Natalie Rickli was outraged: "It's a huge scandal that the state is shutting down a functioning medium." FDP National Councilor Filippo Leutenegger struck a more moderate tone, saying, "Given the tight regulation of the Radio and Television Act (RTVG), the decision was foreseeable, but it's still incomprehensible."
The new RTVG was a forceps birth. Conrad Meyer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the AG for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, said in an interview with Werbewoche in April 2008 about the RTVG: "A cumbersome, elaborate process in which I ask myself whether these forces that are at play then really lead to the best result." The endless debates in the large and small chambers made the regulations more and more complicated and rigid. The control screws were tightened more and more. The fee splitting advocated by most publishers led to further covetousness on the part of politicians. It was not the market that was supposed to decide, but the performance mandate. The term "public service" became the mantra of the regulators, which was eagerly followed by the radio producers. There was never any talk of a guarantee of vested rights for stations that were established and successful in the market. The expected concession money made them forget the fear of too much state control and regulation. The publishers allowed themselves to be lulled into a lull.
Ringier hoped to the end that their appeal would be successful. Now they want to apply for an interim frequency until broadcasting via DAB+ will be possible.
Regulation triumphed over common sense. The obscure public service won out over market success. Even pithy words are no longer of any help.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
