SRF Director Wappler defends her digital expansion strategy

"We want to distribute our content better digitally. But we are not competing against the private broadcasters," Wappler explained to the NZZ on Saturday. SRF is clearly focusing on its core competencies of audio and video - including in the further developed news app, she said. "We have a self-imposed length limit for texts, which is generally adhered to," she emphasized.

The SRF Director also expressed her conviction that several services could coexist in Switzerland. "We also make content and our archive available to private media companies free of charge," she emphasized. She was also very open to further cooperation, she said.

Other narrative forms

Wappler was convinced that the 'digital first' principle was undoubtedly compatible with the concession. "There can be no question of violating the license," she said. And she does not want to limit herself to an online media library where only content produced for radio and TV can be accessed. "The Internet requires different narrative forms than linear radio and TV, for example podcasts and teaser films. We therefore need specially produced material," explained the SRF Director in this regard.

"We also want and need to address young people exactly where they are and get them interested in more detailed content on our news portal," Wappler continued. In addition, the boundaries between channels and platforms will become even more blurred in the future.

However, despite all the criticism of SRF's austerity measures, a new culture of debate is currently needed. "Nothing is more necessary than objective debates," she said. "We need more respect and appreciation for other opinions again," she demanded. And sometimes you should simply not look at Twitter because you would only get annoyed by the constant exaggerations, Wappler explained to the NZZ. (SDA)