Survey puts Tele Züri and Radio 24 ahead

 According to a survey commissioned by Tamedia, 59 percent of the population surveyed in the Zurich-Schaffhausen-Thurgau region would award a TV license to Tele Züri and only 16 percent to Tele Top. The picture is different if you only look at those surveyed in Thurgau: Of them, 59 percent want Tele Top. Interestingly, this was not reported by a Tamedia newspaper, but by Sonntagsblick, which apparently received the survey. One can speculate whether Tamedia is trying to avoid the accusation of "corporate journalism" that has been frequently made recently. In March and April, the research institute GFS Bern, which was commissioned to carry out the survey, also found out what the population thinks about radio: If it were up to the population of the greater Zurich area to allocate the three licenses for the Zurich-Glarus area, 55 percent would opt for Radio 24 and 51 percent for Radio Zürisee. 46 percent wanted the station Energy Zürich, which, like Sonntagsblick, belongs to Ringier. Radio 1 received the green light from 30 percent and Radio 105 from 12 percent.
The situation is somewhat different among respondents in Glarus: Here, 72 percent want to see Radio Zürisee licensed, 58 percent Radio 24, 51 percent Energy Zürich, 22 percent Radio 105 and 20 percent Radio 1.
As the survey took place in March and April, there was probably not enough time for the newly launched Radio 1 to become known to the general public. In addition, precisely defined criteria play a role in the tender for the licenses; popularity among listeners or viewers is not one of them. Radio 1 founder Roger Schawinski, interviewed by Sonntagsblick, echoes this sentiment: "The survey is nonsensical. Popularity is not a criterion, otherwise a new station would have no chance at all."