To the point: Radio Tamtam
Last week, the moment finally arrived. At a press conference in Bern, the last remaining local radio and television licenses were announced. The announcement focused on the sensitive and controversial cases. These cases were controversial because there were more applicants than licenses available for these broadcast areas.
Last week, the time had finally come. At a press conference in Bern, the last remaining local radio and television licenses were announced. It was still about the delicate and controversial cases. Controversial because there were more applicants than licenses for these broadcasting areas. The problem-free licenses were granted a long time ago. Without press conference and without ballyhoo.
All over the country, people were eager to find out which applicants would emerge as winners from the licensing procedure and which would be the losers. The officials from the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom), who provided the basis for the decision for the attention of Media Minister Moritz Leuenberger, were truly not to be envied. Nor was Leuenberger, because one thing was clear: our media minister would come under full criticism. No matter what decisions would be made, the concessions would cause a huge stir. It had been known for a long time that the losers would do everything they could to get one of the longed-for licenses after all. This meant that appeals to the Federal Administrative Court were inevitable. But what was largely overlooked during the entire concession phase was the fact that any appeals to the Federal Administrative Court would have a suspensive effect.
And now the situation is becoming grotesque: Those new broadcasters who have received a license that is contested by their competitors by means of an appeal to the Federal Administrative Court will not be able to broadcast at all as of March. They will have to wait until the Federal Administrative Court has responded to the appeals. And this can take up to a year. So Mr. Scaglione, Mr. Heuberger and Mr. Schawinski will have to wait and see. The existing broadcasters, on the other hand, can continue broadcasting until the appeal decision.
This is absolutely absurd. It is therefore understandable that today politicians are calling on a broad front to free up more frequencies for private broadcasters. The SRG should give up some of its frequencies in return. The reaction of politicians is understandable, but unfortunately it comes a little late. Politicians who belong to the same parties that bravely supported the SRG in the endless debates about the new radio and television law are now in favor of cutting frequencies from the SRG. Just because they can now score points with the public. No one thinks about the fact that this demand cannot be met within a reasonable period of time. One thing is clear, however: a quick and perhaps unconventional solution must be found. It is not acceptable for the Federal Administrative Court to hinder market development with its slow way of working. It needs to put its foot down. The only question is by whom.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
All over the country, people were eager to find out which applicants would emerge as winners from the licensing procedure and which would be the losers. The officials from the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom), who provided the basis for the decision for the attention of Media Minister Moritz Leuenberger, were truly not to be envied. Nor was Leuenberger, because one thing was clear: our media minister would come under full criticism. No matter what decisions would be made, the concessions would cause a huge stir. It had been known for a long time that the losers would do everything they could to get one of the longed-for licenses after all. This meant that appeals to the Federal Administrative Court were inevitable. But what was largely overlooked during the entire concession phase was the fact that any appeals to the Federal Administrative Court would have a suspensive effect.
And now the situation is becoming grotesque: Those new broadcasters who have received a license that is contested by their competitors by means of an appeal to the Federal Administrative Court will not be able to broadcast at all as of March. They will have to wait until the Federal Administrative Court has responded to the appeals. And this can take up to a year. So Mr. Scaglione, Mr. Heuberger and Mr. Schawinski will have to wait and see. The existing broadcasters, on the other hand, can continue broadcasting until the appeal decision.
This is absolutely absurd. It is therefore understandable that today politicians are calling on a broad front to free up more frequencies for private broadcasters. The SRG should give up some of its frequencies in return. The reaction of politicians is understandable, but unfortunately it comes a little late. Politicians who belong to the same parties that bravely supported the SRG in the endless debates about the new radio and television law are now in favor of cutting frequencies from the SRG. Just because they can now score points with the public. No one thinks about the fact that this demand cannot be met within a reasonable period of time. One thing is clear, however: a quick and perhaps unconventional solution must be found. It is not acceptable for the Federal Administrative Court to hinder market development with its slow way of working. It needs to put its foot down. The only question is by whom.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
