SRF: Where the SRG leadership is steering the company

 
"We will be moving more people to the federal parliament. We will also launch our political talk show in the summer," explained Rudolf Matter (pictured above), the first Super Director of Radio and Television (SRF) since the beginning of the year, in an interview with SonntagsBlick. The Arena will remain "in any case". Television also "absolutely needs a soap again". "I have in mind a format in the style of 'Lüthi and Blanc' that is broadcast weekly."

 

When asked whether the cancellation of sporting events such as Formula 1 or the Champions League was conceivable as a cost-saving measure, Matter said in the interview that such events are indeed expensive. The question arises as to whether a single broadcaster can still afford all available sports rights. "I don't rule out that it will be an issue to closely examine whether we can still pay the rising prices for the major sporting events," explained the SRF Director. However, Swiss television had already acquired the TV rights for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in 2007. According to Matter, programs such as "Jackass" or "Jungle Camp" are reserved for private broadcasters. "I think it's fine that there is a division of labor between the public service and private broadcasters."
 

Fans of folk music and Schlager are to get their money's worth again, as SRF's Head of Entertainment Christoph Gebel (pictured above) promised in an interview with the Sonntag newspaper. The program for 2011 is already largely in place. However, he has "defined folk music as a priority for 2012". It is worth thinking about whether "Hopp dä Bäse" needs a relaunch. "There are so many good folk musicians in Switzerland that it would be a failure not to give them a platform," said the SRF Head of Entertainment.

 

Internal video shows Roger de Weck and Matter in front of the workforce

Sonntag also knows more about the future plans of SRG's management team from an internal video recorded at an employee event last Monday and obtained by the newspaper. According to Rudolf Matter, SRF will have a "much stronger multimedia presence" in future.

Roger de Weck also raised the issue of a media fee. When asked whether fees would be charged for internet services, de Weck explained that the public "would certainly not be prepared to pay a fee for internet services". However, the discussion that had begun in parliament about a media fee instead of a radio and television fee was "going in the right direction".

 

 

(Image source: SRF)