Broad coalition opposes the planned SRG fee reduction

By reducing the reception fee per year and household from the current CHF 335 to CHF 300 from 2029, the Federal Council wants to offer "a kind of counter-proposal" to the so-called halving initiative. In addition, 60,000 companies are to pay less. The consultation on amending the Radio and Television Ordinance (RTVO) ended on Thursday.

SRG assumes that the reduction in fees will lead to a reduction in revenue of around CHF 240 million and a reduction of around 900 SRG jobs in all regions.

According to SRG, the measure would also have an impact on sports coverage at major events. The number of Swiss series and films supported and the number of cultural events broadcast would have to be reduced.

Swiss Olympic also described the Federal Council's plans as a "threat to SRG's sports reporting and therefore to Swiss sport as a whole". The loss of media visibility for sports would also have consequences for sports promotion, sponsorship and national cohesion.

Quality of public service at stake

For the media unions Syndicom and SSM, the planned cuts would fundamentally jeopardize the quality of the public media service. Switzerland would run the risk of providing the population with less and less reliable, critical and independent journalism. Swiss film and music production and the entire cultural sector would also be affected.

The smaller, independent media, which have joined forces in the association Media with a Future VMZ, warn that any weakening of the SRG would have "drastic consequences for Switzerland as a media center, the political system and society". This is because the SRG ensures that all linguistic and peripheral regions of Switzerland have access to independent, high-quality information.

For the Swiss Private Radio Association (VSP), a reduction in the household and corporate fee is only acceptable if private media are not affected.

For the Swiss Media Publishers Association (VSM), the focus of the discussion is not on the level of fees, but on SRG's online offering. It is calling for SRG to limit this and focus more on non-commercial offerings such as culture and fringe sports in its linear programming. Should the fees be reduced, this should not weaken cooperation with the private media and should not be at the expense of regional TV and radio providers.

Clarity is required

Swisscopyright, an association of Swiss collecting societies such as Pro Litteris, Suisa and Suissimage, expressed concern "about tendencies to successively dismantle the public service" and thus to curtail or call into question the services of creative artists. Swiss artists are dependent on substantial cooperation with the SRG. If the fees were to be reduced, it would be necessary to determine, among other things, how the SRG should fulfill its mandate in the area of culture.

The umbrella organization of the film and audiovisual industry Cinésuisse recommends leaving the household levy at CHF 335 in view of the "already strained financial situation of the SRG".

Trade unions, the SP and the Greens criticize the fact that the Federal Council's proposal would further weaken the Swiss media in the midst of the media crisis. Diverse media with high-quality reporting are essential for a democracy. The proposed cuts would also jeopardize numerous local radio and television stations in all language regions and offerings for minorities.

The GLP also rejects the proposed partial revision of the RTVO as unsuitable and premature and calls for a serious and well-founded discussion of the public service mandate and the financing model first.

The center is "considering" a medium-term reduction in household fees to CHF 300 and an increase in the number of companies exempt from the obligation to pay fees.

The partial revision was rejected by the SVP. Although a reduction in the household fee is generally to be welcomed as a step in the right direction. The SVP fears that this revision will "sweep under the carpet" the discussions on the fee reduction initiative and the SRG's universal service mandate.

FDP and business associations in favor of exempting SMEs

The FDP supports the "moderate reduction" in fees because this takes account of the change in media consumption. SRG would still be able to fulfill its core mandate even with the reduced revenue. All companies should be exempt from the fee and the fee share for broadcasters of local-regional programs should be increased.

For Economiesuisse, the "thrust" of the proposal is correct, but it does not go far enough. In the medium term, it would be appropriate to abolish the corporate levy altogether. A further reduction in fees for households should also be examined.

The Swiss Trade Association is calling for the complete abolition of what it calls the media tax for SMEs. Gastrosuisse proposes increasing the limit to companies with a minimum turnover of two million francs per year. (SDA)