Criticism of Radio Top's license amendment application
The Schaffhausen cantonal council criticizes the proposed change to Radio Top's licence. The application should only be approved if at least as many journalists are employed to report from the canton of Schaffhausen as before.
The existing license obliges Radio Top to broadcast a daily program window produced in the corresponding region in each of the cantons of Zurich/Schaffhausen, Thurgau and St. Gallen. With the change to the license, which is being made for financial reasons, the previous obligation to broadcast program windows is to be removed. In future, local information is to be broadcast as part of the overall program.
In its consultation with the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom), the Schaffhausen government criticizes the resulting reduction in journalistic capacity, as stated in a press release on Tuesday. Dispensing with the program windows would lead to a further reduction in regional reporting. A reduction in journalist positions responsible for the canton is unacceptable under any circumstances.
Radio Top reported an annual loss of just under 753,000 francs at the end of 2012 and is also expecting a considerable annual loss for 2013, meaning that the balance sheet loss is likely to exceed five million francs. According to Radio Top, it is not possible to cover costs with the current license conditions. (SDA)
