Federal Council sets higher delivery allowance for newspapers and magazines
In 2019, the discount for the delivery of daily and weekly newspapers in the regional and local press will be 25 centimes per copy, and 18 centimes for membership and foundation press titles. On December 7, 2018, the Federal Council set the discounts for the delivery of subscription newspapers and magazines by Swiss Post.
As at October 1, 2018, 146 regional and local press titles with an annual distribution volume of 121.5 million copies met the requirements for a delivery allowance under the indirect press subsidy scheme. The number of eligible titles thus increased by seven compared to the previous year, while the number of eligible copies decreased by 4.5 million. For 2019, the discount is set at 25 centimes per copy, which is one centime higher than in 2018. The federal government supports the regional and local press with an annual contribution of CHF 30 million.
In the membership and foundation press category, a total of 998 titles with a total annual distribution volume of 122.8 million copies met the requirements for indirect press funding as at October 1, 2018. Compared to the previous year, the number of eligible titles fell by 15 and the number of subsidized copies by 2.4 million. The calculation for the membership and foundation press results in a reduction of 18 centimes per copy for 2019 (previous year: 17 centimes per copy). The federal government supports the membership and foundation press with CHF 20 million annually.
Higher reduction due to declining print runs
The one centime increase in the reduction compared to the previous year is due to the fact that circulation figures for the regional and local press have been falling steadily for years, which is not compensated for by the addition of newly subsidized titles.
In the case of the membership and foundation press, the reasons for declining titles and circulation figures and thus for the increase in the reduction of one centime are manifold. For example, if the minimum number of subscribers is no longer reached, the frequency of publication is too low or the paper edition has been discontinued, a title may no longer meet the requirements for indirect press subsidies.
In both categories, the funding available in the most recently completed calculation period was therefore not fully utilized. The carryover from these funds is added to the statutory funding contributions in each case.
The delivery allowances are based on the results of the publishers' annual self-declarations requested by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM). The newspapers and magazines eligible for subsidies are published on the OFCOM website.
