Canal 9: German-language program for the Upper Valais

The Valais regional television station Canal 9 will be broadcasting a German-language program in Upper Valais for the first time from 29 June 2009. It has already been present in the French part of the canton for 25 years. The program will initially last 20 minutes and include a news programme of around 12 minutes, weather forecasts and pictures without commentary. An editorial team of six people will be responsible for the program. Over the next two years, the broadcasting time will be extended to one hour and will eventually last the same amount of time as the French program, as Roger Brunner, head of the Upper Valais editorial team and deputy editor-in-chief, explained. The editorial team will be doubled during this time.
Valais regional television sees itself as a bridge between the language regions, said director Aline Nicol at the media conference in Brig. Each editorial team will deal with a topic from the other language region on a daily basis. Both programs will be broadcast in Rediffusion throughout the entire region.