RTVA: Supervision of advertising and sponsorship remains controversial

The revised Radio and TV Act (RTVA) should provide for the supervision of advertising and sponsorship to be carried out by the expanded Independent Complaints Authority (ICA) and not by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM). This was proposed by the responsible National Council committee, the Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF), on Tuesday in Bern by 14 votes to 4, thereby upholding the original Council resolution. This provided for the UBI, which will in future be called the "Independent Supervisory Authority", to be given comprehensive supervisory powers. The KVF is thus once again opposing the proposals of the Council of States, having initially given in in mid-January. The Council of States, for its part, wants to leave the supervision of advertising and sponsorship with Bakom and only grant the UBI supervisory rights over the editorial content of radio and television productions.The KVF has included a new amendment to the legal protection provisions in the RTVA and the Telecommunications Act in the settlement of differences. Appeals against decisions on interconnection or on publicly tendered licenses in the broadcasting and telecommunications sector should be judged conclusively by the Federal Administrative Court rather than the Federal Supreme Court, according to the communication.
The Radio and Television Act is to be amended in the March session. Fee splitting is also a contentious issue. The KVF wants private radio and television broadcasters to receive a fixed 4% of SRG reception fees. The Council of States is in favor of a flexible solution of 3 to 5 percent.