National Council Commission hears SDA representative
The SDA news agency was the subject of discussion on Tuesday in the National Council's Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF). The committee held hearings.
The CEO and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Schweizerische Depeschenagentur as well as representatives of the employees and trade unions were heard. One of the topics discussed was the planned job cuts.
In a subsequent statement, the KVF said it recognized that the sda was a private company owned by various media houses. However, it emphasized the important function of a neutral news agency for the entire media landscape in Switzerland.
The KVF intends to take up the question of a possible performance agreement in favor of licensed broadcasters again in April, as part of the consultation on the revision of the Radio and Television Ordinance (RTVO).
The Federal Council proposes that the SDA receive CHF 2 million per year from the fee pot from 2019. In this way, it wants to ensure that the media will continue to have access to
the agency's services in three national languages. This is a service for the whole of Switzerland and for all media, said Media Minister Doris Leuthard at the presentation of the draft ordinance.
Some of these plans have met with criticism in the consultation process. For example, cantonal governments complained that funds from the fee pot were incompatible with sda's plans to distribute dividends to shareholders after the merger with the Keystone picture agency. (SDA)
Frédéric Gonseth of French-speaking Switzerland released a film about the SDA strike on Monday.
