Halving initiative: Council of States also recommends rejection
The Council of States today recommended rejecting the popular initiative «200 Francs Are Enough» («Halving Initiative»). Following the Federal Council and the National Council, the upper chamber has thus also clearly spoken out against the proposal.
The decision now lies with the electorate, which will vote on the proposal next year.
The "halving initiative" calls for the annual household levy to be reduced to a maximum of CHF 200 and the levy for companies to be abolished completely. For SRG, this would mean a reduction in its budget from the current CHF 1.25 billion to around CHF 630 million - a halving of funds with serious consequences for the basic media service. Not only would information, culture, education and sport be affected, but also thousands of jobs in the audiovisual industry.
SRG is already facing drastic cuts: Due to the partial revision of the Radio and Television Ordinance (RTVO) decided by the Federal Council, it will have to cut 17% of its budget, which will cost around 1,000 jobs. With an additional halving as a result of the initiative, the diversity, independence and regional presence of SRG could hardly be guaranteed.
The Swiss Syndicate of Media Professionals (SSM) is therefore issuing an urgent warning about the consequences of accepting the proposal. In times of fake news and targeted disinformation, there is a need for strong and independent media that offer the population reliable guidance. SRG guarantees reporting for all parts of the country, supports Swiss culture and provides educational and background formats that could not be financed on the free market. It also secures thousands of jobs and thus strengthens Switzerland as a media and business location.
The SSM calls on politicians, civil society and the general public to make a clear commitment to strong media and an independent public service and to decisively reject the "halving initiative" at the ballot box.
