Start into the next dimension

 
French-speaking Swiss television TSR director Gilles Marchand has high hopes for his "third channel": www.tsr.ch. 
The two channels of French-speaking Swiss television TSR1 and TSR2 lost market share in 2007. On the other hand, the "third channel", the website www.tsr.ch, increased by 27%. "People have been talking about this development for a long time, but now it has caught up with us," said television director Gilles Marchand at a recent media conference. He is talking about the change in consumer habits, which is also affecting other channels with a full program: Viewers are migrating to thematic and ethnic channels and to the Internet. Like other francophone television channels with a full program, the two TSR channels have lost market share. In 2007, they still achieved a share of 30.6 percent per day, and 36.2 percent during prime time. This corresponds to a loss of around 2 percent compared to the previous year. Gilles Marchand put the loss into perspective: In 2006, the Football World Cup had contributed to the excellent result. The figures for 2007 were at the same level as in the comparable year 2003, when federal elections also took place. Despite a decline in viewing time - the French-speaking population spent 163 minutes a day in front of the television last year, compared to 170 minutes the previous year - the two TSR channels remained the most popular channels in all age groups.
A perfect additionIn contrast, use of the website www.tsr.ch has increased rapidly: the daily number of visitors has risen to 78,000, an increase of no less than 27% in a single year. Five years ago, the website had just 16,000 daily visitors. TSR under Gilles Marchand sees the website as an integral "third channel", as "TSR3", which complements and extends the other two channels. Not only young viewers are to be addressed, but also an audience abroad. The website could even fill the gap if French Prime Minister Sarkozy restructures the international francophone channel TV5 Monde in such a way that the SRG would no longer be interested in participating.
The former head of Ringier-Romandie and current TSR director Gilles Marchand is a staunch advocate of the future of multimedia in the Geneva television tower. As early as 2005, he emphasized to the media magazine Klartext: "The medium of television as a whole will have to switch to multimedia distribution." The essential thing about the public service is that it can be received whenever and wherever. "For me, the public service mandate means that we have to offer our content at all times and on all possible media." TSR has therefore thrown itself into the adventure. The well-developed website www.tsr.ch not only features broadcasts, but also additional videos and other added value, articles and links, as well as live news broadcasts that can be consulted via "tsrinfo.ch". In recent years, the magazine "Nouvo" has served as a testing ground for new technologies. Initially, "Nouvo" was an online-only format, but today the program can also be seen on television. This means that TSR not only puts television content on the web, but also distributes web content on the TV screen. "Nouvo" is simultaneously a program, a website and an information platform for cell phones. While the program, which is broadcast twice a month, attracts 30,000 viewers each time, the website nouvo.ch is visited 50,000 times a month.
However, Gilles Marchand's enthusiasm for the Internet is not entirely uncontroversial within TSR. Willy Knöpfel, secretary of the SSM (Swiss Syndicate of Media Professionals) union at TSR, for example, is skeptical. Marchand originally came from print and therefore has a keen interest in the internet medium: "Maybe he's right, maybe not, but it's definitely a gamble." According to Knöpfel, the development of the "third channel" is not taking place in parallel with the development of the two TSR channels, but partly at their expense, because advertising on the Internet is prohibited for SRG channels. Above all, Knöpfel regrets that the production of documentaries and television films, which has long been TSR's fame and strength, is being increasingly restricted or outsourced to private production companies for cost reasons. Instead of producing information, TSR is concentrating on broadcasting it on as many channels as possible: "I'm not sure whether this is the right way for a public service broadcaster." With the expansion of its internet presence, TSR is also tending to step into the publishers' garden, which could sooner or later lead to conflicts of interest as in German-speaking Switzerland.
"A different way of viewing "Bernard Rappaz, editor-in-chief of www.tsr.ch, sees no problem with the fact that TSR has been expanding its multimedia division since 2001. Not even in terms of numbers: "Around two percent of the budget goes to our department." Rappaz is convinced that we have to learn to deal with the new technologies: "It's not just about a different way of producing and broadcasting, but also about a different way of watching." One day, the world of television and the internet world will converge, and those who do not prepare for this will lose their audience. "For this reason, I would consider it a serious mistake to take a back seat in the multimedia sector."
Helen Brügger
 
 
 
 
Sarkozy's planThe French President
Nicolas Sarkozy wants to revamp the TV5 Monde channel. Until now, all francophone countries have broadcast information programs for an international audience via this channel. France now wants to place TV5 Monde together with another French television and radio station under the umbrella of a holding company and call it France Monde. France Monde's declared aim is to promote France's image in the world. This has caused outrage among its francophone partners in French-speaking Switzerland, as well as in Belgium, Canada and Quebec. If TV5 Monde were to lose its editorial independence and its own multilateral management structure during this restructuring, TSR could pull out. In this case, Geneva is considering expanding the website www.tsr.ch as a replacement. The partners concerned are currently negotiating with France on the basis of a joint list of demands. According to TSR, the project should be finalized in the spring. (hb)