What parties and associations say about the proposed levies for online media

The SVP considers the entire bill to be unnecessary and intends to submit a motion to parliament to reject it, as National Councillor Gregor Rutz (ZH) told the Keystone-SDA news agency. According to the constitution, the Federal Council does not have the authority to directly promote individual media. The trade association is of the same opinion.

Diversity on the Internet

The Federal Council states that, according to the Constitution, the Confederation is responsible for legislation on radio, television and "other forms of public telecommunications broadcasting". This also allows for new technological developments and therefore also online media.

Rutz also believes it is "completely wrong to subsidize the Internet". Diversity exists on the Internet and the web is booming, he said. In fact, the Federal Council's approach would lead to nationalization. In future, the most successful company will be the one that collects the most subsidies.

Although the FDP believes that the law fulfills some of its demands, it calls the promotion of online media unnecessary. This market functions without state intervention, it states. Financial support from the federal government is therefore not justified.

Kritics of separating text

The SP, on the other hand, considers the direct promotion of online media to be appropriate. However, it is annoyed that the Federal Council wants to promote audio and video. This artificial separation is an unnecessary concession to large publishers and private media companies. It also does not correspond to the reality of media work.

"Basically the right direction," says Graubünden CVP National Councillor Martin Candinas about the draft. The separation between text on the one hand and audio and video on the other is necessary so that funds from the media levy do not endanger local and national newspapers.

In view of the coexistence of private and fee-financed digital offerings, the Swiss Media Association insists on a legal regulation that is "as clear-cut as possible". Free portals financed by fees could make it more difficult for private broadcasters to develop digital offerings financed by subscriptions. "The willingness of users to pay still needs to be established."

The willingness of users to pay still has to be built up.

Funds for news agencies controversial

Opinions are also divided on money from the media levy for non-profit news agencies. The FDP believes that private organizations operate in the free market and should not receive any money. The SP, on the other hand, insists on this support. Candinas, on the other hand, is in favor of creating a legal basis for this funding option, even if it remains to be seen what will happen.

The Swiss Media Association calls the Keystone-SDA news agency an important partner for editorial offices. A funding contribution is intended to ensure a high-quality text and image offering that is affordable for all media houses.

Although the Syndicom and SSM trade unions consider the thrust of the proposed legislation to be correct, they are calling for direct support for journalistic services. In their view, media funding should focus on quality and diversity, regardless of the distribution channel. The focus should be on working conditions.

"The cake is just being redistributed"

The journalists' association Impressum welcomes the funding opportunity for online media, but also notes that the draft law would not be able to compensate for the resources lost due to the loss of advertising revenue. The cake will not get any bigger, it will just be redistributed.

Like the SP, Impressum is bothered by the separation of text on the one hand and audio and video on the other. If text were excluded from funding, this would lead to the forms being selected according to funding criteria and not according to journalistic criteria.

The SRG has not yet commented in detail on the draft, but has stated that it recognizes in principle the intention to adapt the legislation for new forms of broadcasting. The Swiss Private Radio Association welcomes the fact that the proposed law is intended to lay down rules for all forms of broadcasting. (SDA)