TV broadcasters want to restrict rewinding options

This threatens the business of TV stations. In German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland, 59 percent less advertising is seen on catch-up TV than on live TV, the IRF complained in a press release on Monday. Advertising revenue is being destroyed and broadcasters are losing money as a result of advertising overruns. In 2014, the loss of advertising revenue amounted to 45 million Swiss francs and in 2015 even 67 million Swiss francs. A loss of CHF 123 million is expected for 2017. Switzerland is the only country in which cable network operators and TV platforms can acquire the copyrights for archive services with the entire programming of all television channels from a collecting society at a regulated price.

The tariff valid until the end of 2016 stipulates that TV broadcasters pay CHF 1.50 per month and customer if they allow them to watch the programs free of charge for seven days. A minimum increase of 10 centimes per user per month is planned for 2017. Payments for the rights to Catch Up TV went to the collecting societies and amounted to CHF 18.9 million in 2015. The television broadcasters received CHF 5.4 million from the collecting societies, which is disproportionate to the loss of revenue of CHF 67 million, the IRF writes further. The television broadcasters are therefore demanding a partial abolition of the rewinding option, the retransmission of their own interactive offerings to viewers, a restriction of the search and find functions and remuneration in line with the market. In addition to SRG, all major German private broadcasters such as RTL, Pro7 and Sat1, the 3 Plus Group, AZ Medien TV and the regional and local private television broadcasters in Switzerland are members of the interest group. (SDA)

On the subject: TV broadcasters demand ban on rewinding for advertising (29.5.2016)