National Council Commission has reservations about SRG concession
In the midst of the debate over the future of public broadcasting, the Federal Council is proposing a new SRG license. This has not been well received by the National Council’s Telecommunications Commission (KVF), which is calling for a pause.
The concession anticipated changes that would first have to be discussed in parliament as part of the planned law on electronic media, according to a statement from the parliamentary services on Tuesday. The committee therefore decided by 13 votes to 11 to send a letter to the Federal Council requesting that the current concession be extended by two years. Changes to the content should only be made once SRG's future mandate has been clarified. The conservative parties had already criticized the Federal Council's approach during the consultation process in the spring. The Council of States Committee is different: it supports the draft for a new SRG license.
If the government has its way, the new concession will come into force at the beginning of 2019 and remain in force until the end of 2022. The aim of the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) is to sharpen the contours of SRG's public service remit. SRG should continue to focus on information and differentiate itself more strongly from private broadcasters. According to the draft of the new Media Act, a new authority, independent of the Federal Administration, will issue the SRG license and conclude service agreements with other media. (SDA)
