SRG intervenes in the "Swiss Award" case against Bakom

 SRG and the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) are at loggerheads. The point of contention is the information practice in supervisory proceedings. According to a report in the Sonntagszeitung newspaper, the SRG has submitted a request for recusal against the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) in proceedings concerning possible surreptitious advertising in the "Swiss Award" program (see ). The Department of Communications (Uvek) is to decide whether Bakom is biased. SRG is annoyed because OFCOM is already providing information about the opening of proceedings. Bakom sees it as its duty to also provide information about ongoing proceedings, whereas SRG believes that Bakom, as the adjudicating authority, should only comment on legally binding rulings, SRG spokesperson Daniel Steiner told the Sonntagszeitung. The corresponding Article 87 in the Radio and Television Act can be interpreted in different ways. It states: "The supervisory authorities shall inform the public about their activities. In particular, they may publish administrative and criminal decisions and make them accessible on demand".
Requests for recusal against Bakom are rare, Uvek Head of Communications André Simonazzi told the Sonntagszeitung. The Uvek wants to make a decision after the summer vacation. The fact that the SRG is intervening in the "Swiss Award" case of all things is a coincidence, says spokesperson Steiner. It was solely a matter of clarifying Article 87.