Digitalsuisse defends itself against "forced advertising consumption" on replay TV
Last Friday's narrow decision by the National Council's Legal Affairs Committee means that advertising on time-shifted television (replay TV) can only be skipped if the broadcaster has given its consent. Suissedigital opposes this article in the law.
"Twelve members of the National Council's Legal Affairs Committee want compulsory advertising on replay TV. In the age of the much-vaunted digitalization, this is not only an anachronism, but above all anti-cultural and anti-consumer," says Suissedigital Managing Director Simon Osterwalder on the surprising decision to adopt an article ported by the TV broadcasters to restrict replay TV by twelve votes to nine (with three abstentions).
As Suissedigital writes in a press release, the article is rejected for the following reasons:
- The proven right to private copying of free-to-air TV channels in Switzerland is being encroached upon. Until now, regardless of the technical solution (previously via a VHS recorder, now via a replay TV platform), people have been able to decide for themselves whether and how they want to skip TV advertising, but in future this will require the explicit consent of each individual broadcaster. Of course, Suissedigital is convinced that the TV broadcasters would be willing to pay for this consent.
- Replay TV in its current form will no longer exist, as it will no longer be possible to skip advertising on all channels, but only on certain channels. This would reduce the income of the collecting societies, which would primarily affect creative artists who are financed by private copying tariffs.
- Despite the restrictions, replay TV would become more expensive for consumers, as the major broadcasters would pay handsomely for permission to skip advertising. In addition, the usual copyright tariffs would still be due. An important goal of the copyright revision, namely the abolition of such double remuneration, would be "torpedoed" in favor of fee-financed Swiss broadcasting companies and financially strong foreign media groups.
According to Suissdigital, the conclusion is that only broadcasters will benefit from the new law. At the same time, the changes would be at the expense of consumers, creative artists and broadcasters. Suissedigital is the trade association for Swiss communication networks. It is made up of around 200 private and public companies that supply around 2.3 million households with radio, TV, HDTV, Internet, telephony and other services. (hae/pd)
