Radio and TV Director Matter: More objectivity in 2011 elections
With an eye toward the 2011 election year, the new Director of Radio and Television, Rudolf Matter, would like to see more relevance and objectivity on Swiss television, and fewer sensationalist stunts. This would mean giving less airtime to the back-and-forth between the SP and the SVP.
In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag, Matter said that the confrontation between left and right - i.e. between the SP and the SVP - should not be given more space than is objectively justified. With the convergence at SRG, Matter will take up his post at the beginning of 2011. He has his sights set on the Arena in particular: in his opinion, the political discussion program can better reflect the political reality of this country. Above all, it must also bring up differentiated, solution-oriented approaches.
As difficult political issues in parliament are often resolved via the center parties, these should also be addressed in an appropriate manner, said Matter. He would like to see more relevance and less of an exchange of blows. In return, he would also accept a slight drop in viewing figures for Arena. Matter referred to the SRG's mandate, for which it also receives reception fees: Bringing relevant political topics closer to viewers is also a particularly important task in a direct democracy. If the ratings fall slightly, this is acceptable.
Next year, Matter also wants to launch a talk show on political and economic topics. Planning for this is currently underway. Matter believes that Swiss television has a deficit in this area.
As difficult political issues in parliament are often resolved via the center parties, these should also be addressed in an appropriate manner, said Matter. He would like to see more relevance and less of an exchange of blows. In return, he would also accept a slight drop in viewing figures for Arena. Matter referred to the SRG's mandate, for which it also receives reception fees: Bringing relevant political topics closer to viewers is also a particularly important task in a direct democracy. If the ratings fall slightly, this is acceptable.
Next year, Matter also wants to launch a talk show on political and economic topics. Planning for this is currently underway. Matter believes that Swiss television has a deficit in this area.
