Decision on radio studio "at the discretion of SRG" according to Federal Council
The SRG's plans to relocate its radio news department from Bern to Zurich are a topic of concern in political circles. Several members of the National Council demanded information on the matter during question time on Monday. The Federal Council responded cautiously.
The SRG has to take cost-cutting measures because of its financial situation and because of the requirements of politics, he writes in the answers to questions from Christa Markwalder (FDP/BE) and Christian Wasserfallen (FDP/BE). It is within the SRG's entrepreneurial discretion to determine the production structures within the language regions and to decide on the locations for the radio studios. At the same time, however, the Federal Council warns that the high journalistic quality of the programs must not be called into question.
Lack of understanding of state policy
Wasserfallen noted that a weakening of regional anchoring would be tricky from a media policy perspective. He asked whether this was in the interest of public service. Markwalder wrote that a centralization of information in Zurich would endanger regional and content diversity in reporting. She criticized a "lack of understanding of state policy on the part of SRG's top management" and asked the Federal Council where entrepreneurial freedom ends at the SRG, a fee-financed media company. Stable reach Other Council members inquired about the development of radio use, since the SRG argues, among other things, with the declining radio use. The Federal Council states that the reach and market share of radio stations have remained stable in recent years. The duration of daily linear radio use has fallen. On the other hand, time-shifted radio use via digital offerings is increasing. According to the SRG, this change in usage behavior is one reason for the partial relocation of the Bern radio studio to Zurich that it is considering. (SDA)
The Federal Councillor's dry response to our questions about the @ProStudioBern. Bern would probably be the only federal city/capital in the world without a radio studio. In addition, the savings effects are completely unclear and Bern will be weakened as a bridge canton between German and French-speaking Switzerland. #SRG pic.twitter.com/8YxDvD22be
- Christa Markwalder (@ChristaMarkwald) September 17, 2018
