SRG location: Basel residents demand media campus
The governments of both Basel cantons do not want the SRG to relocate Radio DRS’s science department to Zurich as well. They are calling for an «SRG media campus» in Basel dedicated to society, science, and culture.
It was with "great concern" that they took note of considerations to transfer the Radio DRS science editorial team to television as part of the convergence restructuring of radio and television, as they announced on Tuesday. This would contradict the binding commitment to retain the main studio location in Basel, the governments warned. Outsourcing the science department from the radio culture department would be "a further substantial reduction" in Basel. This specialist editorial team has been built up over the last four years. Basel is also the "most important science and innovation location in Switzerland" and the Basel life sciences industry is the "engine of Switzerland's export economy".
The governments fear that a withdrawal would take the region even further out of SRG's field of vision. It has already been proven that the radio program is heavily weighted towards Zurich. Even the economic areas of Berne, Lucerne and St. Gallen, which have similar populations, receive five times as much broadcasting time as Basel. The governments of both Basel welcomed an initiative by the SRG staff in Basel for a media campus in Basel. They themselves are specifically calling for a "thematic cluster for society, science and culture, where contributions for radio, television and the Internet are planned, researched and produced".
The governments fear that a withdrawal would take the region even further out of SRG's field of vision. It has already been proven that the radio program is heavily weighted towards Zurich. Even the economic areas of Berne, Lucerne and St. Gallen, which have similar populations, receive five times as much broadcasting time as Basel. The governments of both Basel welcomed an initiative by the SRG staff in Basel for a media campus in Basel. They themselves are specifically calling for a "thematic cluster for society, science and culture, where contributions for radio, television and the Internet are planned, researched and produced".
