"Admeira is a very innovative project".

The former SRF journalist and current SP National Councilor sees a need for savings at SRG. It should "not continue to grow, but rather throw off ballast," said Aebischer in an interview with Sonntagsblick. This could be done, for example, in the area of executive salaries and the number of stations. He does not believe that the special-interest stations Swiss Jazz and Swiss Classic are really necessary, since SRG operates an "excellent cultural station" in all parts of the country. However, SRG has emphasized several times in the recent past that, among others, the music-only stations mentioned by Aebischer are very inexpensive to operate.

"Under Armin Walpen's leadership, not only has the SRG director's salary nearly doubled, but so has the number of stations," says Aebischer, explaining "the partly self-inflicted" poor image of SRG.

According to Aebischer, it would be important for SRF to be as close to the people in German-speaking Switzerland as RTS is in French-speaking Switzerland.

Adhere to the online advertising ban

Aebischer also rejects the idea of allowing SRF to advertise on the Internet. But he also clearly rejects the demand to restrict television advertising for SRG: "It was once decided that SRG could advertise on TV. (...) Taking away this money now, when more and more advertising is moving to the Internet, is not very wise. That's why SRG should not be allowed to advertise online on the Internet in return.

"You have to get everyone involved"

Aebischer describes the publishers' demand that SRG withdraw from the advertising marketing company Admeira as a "typical proxy war. The publishers would use the conflict over the "unhappily started" construct to harm SRG. "At the same time, the whole thing is a very innovative project. What Ringier, Swisscom and SRG have achieved here, I support one hundred percent," says Aebischer.

It was in everyone's interest if advertising money did not flow abroad. However, "this war" would continue as long as Admeira did not change its organization and was equally accessible to all publishers. "If you want to be successful with this project, you have to involve everyone." Aebischer sees possible solutions in converting Admeira into a kind of cooperative. (hae/SoBli/SDA)

Image: Matthiasaebischer.ch