"Socially highly controversial": SRF rejects exit spots
The euthanasia organization Exit wanted to air commercials featuring celebrities on SRF. However, Swiss television considers the topic too sensitive.
As reported by the SonntagsZeitung, five Exit commercials were to be broadcast on SRF from Monday. Celebrities such as Councillor of States Anita Fetz, comedian Peach Weber and director Rolf Lyssy explain why they are members of the euthanasia organization.
"The topic is not only highly controversial politically, but also socially", is the reason given by SRF for not wanting to run the commercials. They feared "that advertising assisted suicide in public service programs would hurt the feelings of a not insignificant part of the audience".
Exit board member Jürg Wiler cannot understand the decision and the reasoning behind it. The campaign is not intended to promote dying, but to stimulate a fundamental discussion about self-determination. Wiler denies that this is a controversial topic - he is convinced that assisted suicide enjoys very broad acceptance in Switzerland. When a similar campaign ran for weeks on SRF in 2010, very few people were bothered by it.
SRF marketer Admeira takes a different view. "In the case of Exit, there had been various negative responses to the earlier broadcast of commercials," says spokeswoman Patrizia Stähli to SonntagsZeitung. SRF rejects all advertising that could be problematic for ethical and moral reasons - and that includes Exit.
The regional broadcasters are having less trouble with the topic: the commercials can be seen from Monday on TeleZüri, Tele M1, Telebasel, TV Ostschweiz, Tele 1 and TeleBärn. (hae)
