Telebielingue takes a breather before ruling on concession
The license for the Biel-based television station Telebielingue has been extended. It was originally set to expire at the end of the year. The extension will remain in effect until the Federal Administrative Court rules on an appeal against the license award.
The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) has extended Telebielingue's license from 1 January 2025, a spokeswoman for the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Sunday. She confirmed a report by the newspaper Le Temps.
At the beginning of 2024, Media Minister Albert Rösti's department surprisingly awarded the new concession for the Biel area to the television station Canal Alpha. The former local television station Telebielingue of the Gassmann media group lost out. The Gassmann Group lodged an appeal against the decision with the Federal Administrative Court. This decision is still pending.
More money
As of January 1, the share of radio and television fees that Telebielingue receives annually will be increased from the current CHF 3.2 million to CHF 3.7 million, the Bakom spokesperson continued. In general, the amounts for regional television have been adjusted upwards.
The editorial director of Gassmann, Nicoletta Cimmino, explained to Keystone-SDA that Telebielingue and Canal Alpha had agreed a transitional period of one year if the court ruled in favor of the Jura Arc television project. This agreement proposed by the Biel-based group would apply from the date of the Federal Administrative Court's (FAC) decision.
The managing director of Canal Alpha, Marcello del Zio, confirmed this information to the Keystone-SDA news agency. Should the SNB rule in favor of Canal Alpha, the concession would remain in the hands of Telebielingue until the end of the transitional period.
Telebielingue began broadcasting in 1999 and employs around 40 people. The station broadcasts bilingual television programs in German and French. The Gassmann Group also publishes the daily newspapers Journal du Jura and Bieler Tagblatt and the weekly newspaper Biel Bienne and the platform Ajour out. (SDA/swi)
