Walpen: Waiver of fee increase linked to conditions
SRG Director Armin Walpen has indicated his willingness to forego a fee increase. However, to get the SRG's finances back on track, he is calling on the Federal Council to make adjustments.
SRG Director Armin Walpen is prepared to forego a fee increase. However, he is demanding adjustments from the Federal Council in order to balance SRG's finances. For example, recipients of AHV and IV supplementary benefits should also pay fees in future.
Furthermore, it is not normal for fee money to be used to pay for SRG's investments in TV5, Euronews or Swissinfo. These are not public services for the Swiss, explains Walpen in an interview that will appear in the French-language magazine L'Hébdo on Thursday, according to SDA. Walpen goes on to say that the millions saved would easily be enough to balance the SRG's finances. If the Federal Council rejects the SRG's savings proposals, it will have to rethink the SRG's public service, says Walpen, who will step down as Director at the end of 2010.
Last year, SRG posted a deficit of CHF 79 million. It threatened to cut services if it was unable to generate new revenue. For the time being, it has taken various cost-cutting measures - including a freeze on salaries.
Addendum: Armin Walpen does say in the interview that "the exemption from the license fee for recipients of AHV and IV benefits" is not a matter for SRG. However, he did not want to give the impression that recipients would have to pay license fees in future.
Rather, the aim is for the federal government to compensate for these shortfalls. This already happens to a large extent today, but the last adjustment was made in 2003. Although the number of exemptions from contributions has increased since then, the compensation paid to the SRG has remained unchanged.
Furthermore, it is not normal for fee money to be used to pay for SRG's investments in TV5, Euronews or Swissinfo. These are not public services for the Swiss, explains Walpen in an interview that will appear in the French-language magazine L'Hébdo on Thursday, according to SDA. Walpen goes on to say that the millions saved would easily be enough to balance the SRG's finances. If the Federal Council rejects the SRG's savings proposals, it will have to rethink the SRG's public service, says Walpen, who will step down as Director at the end of 2010.
Last year, SRG posted a deficit of CHF 79 million. It threatened to cut services if it was unable to generate new revenue. For the time being, it has taken various cost-cutting measures - including a freeze on salaries.
Addendum: Armin Walpen does say in the interview that "the exemption from the license fee for recipients of AHV and IV benefits" is not a matter for SRG. However, he did not want to give the impression that recipients would have to pay license fees in future.
Rather, the aim is for the federal government to compensate for these shortfalls. This already happens to a large extent today, but the last adjustment was made in 2003. Although the number of exemptions from contributions has increased since then, the compensation paid to the SRG has remained unchanged.
