Haldimann annoyed by the FDJP's broadcasting ban

 
SF editor-in-chief Ueli Haldimann is annoyed because Swiss television did not receive permission to broadcast the press conference "100 days of Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf" live on SF Info. The press conference traditionally took place on April 11, 2008 after the new Federal Councillor's first 100 days in office. This time, however, the conference took place in a politically heated atmosphere due to the dispute between the SVP Federal Councillor and her party. Because of the broadcasting ban, Haldimann now wants to seek talks with the Federal Chancellery "to define rules for live broadcasts that are worthy of the principles of a liberal democracy", according to an SF newsletter. Federal Councillor Widmer-Schlumpf's spokesperson, Livio Zanolari, justified the refusal with the risk of instrumentalization. Apparently, the head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police has had a certain fear of contact with the camera since the documentary film about the Federal Council election, which triggered the dispute between her and her party. In her letter of refusal to SF, Zanolari wrote: "We want to avoid putting other media and media professionals at a disadvantage and the risk of spectacularizing and instrumentalizing the press conference. Thank you for your understanding."
Haldimann responded to this a few days ago in an internal newsletter: "No, we have no sympathy for this reasoning. Once again, we have the feeling that EWS (Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf) could be better advised. Why are other media at a disadvantage? We didn't want to broadcast the press conference exclusively, and it's in the nature of things that newspapers only appear a day later." There is also no danger of spectacularization and instrumentalization, especially with a live broadcast. There is no editing or weighting, the broadcast is unadulterated.
According to the SF-Newsletter, Zanolari did not accept these arguments. There was a danger that the PF would be misused by opponents of the Federal Councillor. That is why Haldimann now wants to seek talks with the Federal Chancellery.