30 years of private radio
November 1, 1983, marks an important date in Swiss media history: It was the first time that local radio stations went on the air legally. Since then, private radio stations have been an integral part of the media landscape.
It was a long battle that the pioneers fought in the late 1970s. It was only thanks to pressure from the public and the commitment of Roger Schawinski and the first radio pirates that private radio stations were able to go on air legally in November 1983 with the RVO (Broadcasting Experiments Ordinance) passed by the Federal Council.
Today, over 3.4 million people tune into their private radio stations every day. Private radio stations are also an important source of information for the affected population in the event of disasters and extraordinary situations, writes the Association of Swiss Private Radio Stations (VSP) in a press release on Tuesday. For the future, it is important to create the legal, advertising and technical conditions to ensure that private radio stations remain successful in the future.
