Demand letter against new advertising alliance
Various private media outlets and internet service providers are taking a stand against the new advertising alliance between Swisscom, SRG, and Ringier. In a letter to the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom), they are calling for clear limits to be set on the alliance.
The providers have joined forces in the interests of a competition-friendly, federalist media policy, as they announced on Thursday. With the letter of demand to Bakom, they want to send a signal for a limited role for the SRG in the joint venture.
The loose alliance includes AZ Medien, Basler Zeitung, the TV stations 3+,4+, 5+, Goldbach Media, various local radio stations and TVs, the cable network association Suissedigital and the TV platform Zattoo.
Swisscom, SRG and Ringier announced the joint venture for their joint advertising platform in August 2015. The publishers and their association announced their opposition. In mid-December, OFCOM prohibited SRG from using the joint platform until the end of March at the latest. It first wants to carry out a review under broadcasting law. However, the Competition Commission has already approved the joint venture.
