"Today's law only serves naysayers"

The new law will bring more fairness, less bureaucracy and lower radio and television fees for everyone, CVP National Councillor Martin Candinas (GR) told the media in Bern. The revision of the law is urgently needed because the current law is outdated. Today, only those who own a radio or television pay. However, every smartphone and every laptop is also a radio and a television. This means that practically all households and companies would actually be obliged to pay radio and television fees. However, the reality is different. Only 4.8 percent of companies paid fees in 2012, and not all households that were obliged to do so paid. "The honest people pay for the black consumers," Candinas pointed out.

No more seeing and hearing black

The new law provides for a system change: The device-based fee is to be replaced by a fee per household and company. According to the Federal Council, this would reduce the fee from CHF 462 to around CHF 400. In the case of companies, 75 percent would be exempt from the fee - all those with a turnover of less than half a million francs. A further 9 percent would pay less than today. "In future, there will no longer be any nonspeakers," said Candinas. The law thus ensures greater fairness. In addition, private regional radio and television broadcasters and thus media diversity would be strengthened.

Trade opposition incomprehensible

This alone should actually convince the majority of voters, said Regula Rytz, National Councillor for the Greens (BE). However, the new fee system has other advantages. For example, all residents of retirement and nursing homes would now be exempt from the fee. Furthermore, people who do not use the media could be exempted from the fee during a transitional phase of five years. And finally, the law clarifies the situation of companies. A large proportion will be "officially" exempt from the fee. The industry's opposition is incomprehensible. "It is a mystery to me why they want to prevent such an improvement," said Rytz.

Everything at any time and anywhere

SP National Councillor Edith Graf-Litscher (TG) sees the referendum against the law, which was initiated by the trade association, simply as an "attack on the public service in the media sector". She also believes that the new regulation is actually in the interests of the industry. However, Graf-Litscher was confident that the voters would approve the law. Media use has changed considerably, she noted. The principle of "everything at all times and everywhere" applies. The general public is not closed to this reality. She therefore believes that the system change will find a majority.

No more annoying inspectors

For FDP National Councillor Olivier Français (VD) and BDP National Councillor Urs Gasche (BE), the focus is on reducing the administrative burden. The proposed regulation is "impressively lean", said Gasche. Today, Billag employs an army of bureaucrats and inspectors. The new RTVA would no longer require any annoying Billag controls. This means that the money is available for the constitutional purpose. "When you consider that the current law only serves the black listeners and viewers, the massive campaign against the new law is somewhat surprising", said Gasche.

Companies cheat

According to the calculations of the Yes Committee, the economy would actually have to pay over half a billion today if the law were implemented consistently. In future, it would still be 200 million. If the industry's contribution today only amounts to CHF 40 million, this merely shows that a large number of receivers are not registered. The non-partisan Yes committee also emphasizes that the vote is solely about the modalities of financing radio and television. "Contrary to what the referendum campaign has suggested so far, we are not voting on how much public service we want or whether we like the SRG's program," said Candinas. The SVP and the GLP, which have adopted the "No" slogan, are not represented on the committee. (SDA)