The race is open
Regional TV challengers are threatening established television pioneers or media houses in the cantons of Vaud, Valais and the Jura Arc.
Regional TV challengers are threatening established television pioneers or media houses in the cantons of Vaud, Valais and the Jura Arc.
Surprise in French-speaking Switzerland: seven regional television projects are applying for a license in the four broadcasting areas. Whatever the decision of the licensing authority, it is likely to cause bad blood, at least in the canton of Valais. There, the Bakom provides for a bilingual license that seemed tailor-made for Canal 9, which is well established with the public. This regional television station, which is run by a non-profit association, has been broadcasting in French-speaking Lower Valais for 25 years. 54% of its income comes from viewers who are prepared to pay a voluntary monthly subscription fee. The association is made up of representatives from the various regions and political, economic and social groups. With this kind of audience loyalty, Canal 9 seemed ideally equipped to set up a second, German-language editorial office in the Upper Valais, and director Aline Nicol was looking forward to establishing a bilingual regional television station. Upper Valaisans mobilizeBut she had not reckoned with the German-speaking Upper Valaisans: radio producer Christian Stärkle, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Radio Rottu in the Upper Valais, made himself the spokesperson for the dissatisfied. His conviction: "The Valaisans are not bilingual!" They are either of German or French culture, and above all: "They only consume media in their mother tongue."
And so, in recent months, a brand new Tele Oberwallis AG, an equally new Tele Valais Romand SA and, most recently, a Valais Wallis TV Aktiengesellschaft were founded. Valais Wallis TV is intended as an umbrella company and licensee; it would redistribute the CHF 3.1 million in fees to Tele Valais Romand and Tele Oberwallis. Stärkle envisages two different programs in two languages, produced by four different television teams: two in each part of the canton and two working as correspondents in the other part of the canton.
Hardened fronts in ValaisA consortium of the most important German and French-language media is behind the challengers' application for a license. This is a hard blow for Aline Nicol, who remains convinced that Canal 9, with its 25 years of experience, still has a head start.
But why couldn't Canal 9 and Valais Wallis TV get together? The question remains unanswered, with both parties accusing the other of a lack of willingness to talk. Jean-Yves Bonvin, director of Nouvelliste and contact person for Télé Valais Romand, gives an indication: "Canal 9's association structure is outdated." To which Nicol replies sharply: "Our focus is on the viewers, not the shareholders and not the dividends."
Dispute in the Jura ArcThe challengers in the Vaud-Fribourg and Arc Jurassien regions are no newcomers either. In the Jura Arc, radio man Pierre Steulet is disputing the license of Canal Alpha, which has been broadcasting for twenty years, and thus the 2.6 million francs in licence fees. Although the rivals spoke to each other, they were unable to reach an agreement. Steulet then joined forces with Sylvio Bernasconi, president of the Neuchâtel football club Xamax. In the alliance, the latter brings the finances, the former the know-how and the information network of his three local radio stations.
In the license application for the Arc TV project, Steulet argues, among other things, that his channel will be independent of large media groups. The side blow is directed at Canal Alpha and its cooperation with the Société Neuchâteloise de Presse (SNP). The SNP and Canal Alpha are planning a joint multimedia platform for regional information. Fabien Wolfrath, the former owner and current director of SNP, who holds a 5.5% stake in Canal Alpha, is one of the main sponsors of the television license application. According to co-owner and director Joël Pelet, Canal Alpha wants to remain independent and there are no plans for a capital increase. But the French media czar and current SNP owner Philippe Hersant is known for not turning down anyone he can help at some point.
The battle for the fee potThe situation in the canton of Vaud has also become complicated with two competing license applications. Here, the Vaud-Fribourg TV project was as good as set after the major partners in both cantons were finally able to rally behind a license application. Although Edipresse itself is one of the main sponsors of the application, it estimates that, despite the substantial fee share of CHF 3.2 million, the television station will have to go to great lengths to become economically viable in view of the culturally disparate broadcasting area.
It is therefore a surprise that the Rouge FM radio group has also entered the race. "We knew that there were interested parties, but it wasn't so clear who would get involved," says Philippe Sordet from Edipresse, who also acts as secretary of the pilot group. Rouge FM is owned by the French entrepreneur Hugues de Montfalcon. His statements against the hated "protectionism" and "subsidies in the Swiss media landscape" are well known. Now Montfalcon, whose ambitions are obviously just as big as his bank account, wants to obtain the difficult Vaud-Fribourg license - and thus dip into the fee pot himself. In its application for the license, the Rouge-FM Group plays the trump card that it is completely private and "free from political constraints and dependencies" - a side blow to the rival project, in which the public sector can get involved with 32% of the shares.
Helen Brügger
The competitorsWallis:
Canal 9 is the historic, association-run regional television station in the French-speaking Lower Valais. It is bidding for the bilingual Valais concession put out to tender by OFCOM, but faces competition from the brand new Valais Wallis TV AG, a media conglomerate comprising the most important, also French-language Valais media. Vaud-Fribourg:
For years, the publisher Edipresse has been trying to merge several local stations run by municipalities with a view to creating a Vaud regional television station. After Bakom extended the broadcasting area to the French-speaking part of the canton of Fribourg, Edipresse brought the publisher of the Fribourg regional newspaper La Liberté and Radio Fribourg on board. Their Vaud-Fribourg TV project faces competition from the radio group Rouge FM, owned by the French entrepreneur Hugues de Montfalcon, who is based in Lausanne:
The regional broadcaster Canal Alpha, which has been broadcasting in the canton of Neuchâtel for 20 years, is seeking to collaborate with the Société Neuchâteloise de Presse SNP (L'Express, L'Impartial) in the multimedia sector. SNP is owned by the French media magnate Philippe Hersant, who lives in Geneva. The second concession application for the region comes from the kitchen of radio man Pierre Steulet and thus from the canton of Jura. Steulet runs three successful radio stations (RJB, RFJ, RTN) and has had a regional television project in the pipeline for years. (hb)
Surprise in French-speaking Switzerland: seven regional television projects are applying for a license in the four broadcasting areas. Whatever the decision of the licensing authority, it is likely to cause bad blood, at least in the canton of Valais. There, the Bakom provides for a bilingual license that seemed tailor-made for Canal 9, which is well established with the public. This regional television station, which is run by a non-profit association, has been broadcasting in French-speaking Lower Valais for 25 years. 54% of its income comes from viewers who are prepared to pay a voluntary monthly subscription fee. The association is made up of representatives from the various regions and political, economic and social groups. With this kind of audience loyalty, Canal 9 seemed ideally equipped to set up a second, German-language editorial office in the Upper Valais, and director Aline Nicol was looking forward to establishing a bilingual regional television station. Upper Valaisans mobilizeBut she had not reckoned with the German-speaking Upper Valaisans: radio producer Christian Stärkle, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Radio Rottu in the Upper Valais, made himself the spokesperson for the dissatisfied. His conviction: "The Valaisans are not bilingual!" They are either of German or French culture, and above all: "They only consume media in their mother tongue."
And so, in recent months, a brand new Tele Oberwallis AG, an equally new Tele Valais Romand SA and, most recently, a Valais Wallis TV Aktiengesellschaft were founded. Valais Wallis TV is intended as an umbrella company and licensee; it would redistribute the CHF 3.1 million in fees to Tele Valais Romand and Tele Oberwallis. Stärkle envisages two different programs in two languages, produced by four different television teams: two in each part of the canton and two working as correspondents in the other part of the canton.
Hardened fronts in ValaisA consortium of the most important German and French-language media is behind the challengers' application for a license. This is a hard blow for Aline Nicol, who remains convinced that Canal 9, with its 25 years of experience, still has a head start.
But why couldn't Canal 9 and Valais Wallis TV get together? The question remains unanswered, with both parties accusing the other of a lack of willingness to talk. Jean-Yves Bonvin, director of Nouvelliste and contact person for Télé Valais Romand, gives an indication: "Canal 9's association structure is outdated." To which Nicol replies sharply: "Our focus is on the viewers, not the shareholders and not the dividends."
Dispute in the Jura ArcThe challengers in the Vaud-Fribourg and Arc Jurassien regions are no newcomers either. In the Jura Arc, radio man Pierre Steulet is disputing the license of Canal Alpha, which has been broadcasting for twenty years, and thus the 2.6 million francs in licence fees. Although the rivals spoke to each other, they were unable to reach an agreement. Steulet then joined forces with Sylvio Bernasconi, president of the Neuchâtel football club Xamax. In the alliance, the latter brings the finances, the former the know-how and the information network of his three local radio stations.
In the license application for the Arc TV project, Steulet argues, among other things, that his channel will be independent of large media groups. The side blow is directed at Canal Alpha and its cooperation with the Société Neuchâteloise de Presse (SNP). The SNP and Canal Alpha are planning a joint multimedia platform for regional information. Fabien Wolfrath, the former owner and current director of SNP, who holds a 5.5% stake in Canal Alpha, is one of the main sponsors of the television license application. According to co-owner and director Joël Pelet, Canal Alpha wants to remain independent and there are no plans for a capital increase. But the French media czar and current SNP owner Philippe Hersant is known for not turning down anyone he can help at some point.
The battle for the fee potThe situation in the canton of Vaud has also become complicated with two competing license applications. Here, the Vaud-Fribourg TV project was as good as set after the major partners in both cantons were finally able to rally behind a license application. Although Edipresse itself is one of the main sponsors of the application, it estimates that, despite the substantial fee share of CHF 3.2 million, the television station will have to go to great lengths to become economically viable in view of the culturally disparate broadcasting area.
It is therefore a surprise that the Rouge FM radio group has also entered the race. "We knew that there were interested parties, but it wasn't so clear who would get involved," says Philippe Sordet from Edipresse, who also acts as secretary of the pilot group. Rouge FM is owned by the French entrepreneur Hugues de Montfalcon. His statements against the hated "protectionism" and "subsidies in the Swiss media landscape" are well known. Now Montfalcon, whose ambitions are obviously just as big as his bank account, wants to obtain the difficult Vaud-Fribourg license - and thus dip into the fee pot himself. In its application for the license, the Rouge-FM Group plays the trump card that it is completely private and "free from political constraints and dependencies" - a side blow to the rival project, in which the public sector can get involved with 32% of the shares.
Helen Brügger
The competitorsWallis:
Canal 9 is the historic, association-run regional television station in the French-speaking Lower Valais. It is bidding for the bilingual Valais concession put out to tender by OFCOM, but faces competition from the brand new Valais Wallis TV AG, a media conglomerate comprising the most important, also French-language Valais media. Vaud-Fribourg:
For years, the publisher Edipresse has been trying to merge several local stations run by municipalities with a view to creating a Vaud regional television station. After Bakom extended the broadcasting area to the French-speaking part of the canton of Fribourg, Edipresse brought the publisher of the Fribourg regional newspaper La Liberté and Radio Fribourg on board. Their Vaud-Fribourg TV project faces competition from the radio group Rouge FM, owned by the French entrepreneur Hugues de Montfalcon, who is based in Lausanne:
The regional broadcaster Canal Alpha, which has been broadcasting in the canton of Neuchâtel for 20 years, is seeking to collaborate with the Société Neuchâteloise de Presse SNP (L'Express, L'Impartial) in the multimedia sector. SNP is owned by the French media magnate Philippe Hersant, who lives in Geneva. The second concession application for the region comes from the kitchen of radio man Pierre Steulet and thus from the canton of Jura. Steulet runs three successful radio stations (RJB, RFJ, RTN) and has had a regional television project in the pipeline for years. (hb)
