Kathrin Winzenried joined "Kassensturz" in 2009. The 49-year-old Bernese regularly hosted the show. In 2022, she increased her workload and has since been presenting the background magazine for consumers together with Bettina Ramseier. Now Winzenried has decided to hand over the moderation.
In addition to her work at "Kassensturz," Kathrin Winzenried realizes and produces documentaries for "SRF Dok" and "Reporter. She will continue to work as an author and producer for these formats and will thus remain with SRF.
"It was a great 15 years at 'Kassensturz'. With an incredibly motivated team, I was able to do fair and advocacy journalism. That was unique," Winzenried is quoted as saying in a statement. "Now I'm looking forward to being outside the studio more again to make films and reports."
"Kassensturz" editorial director Christian Dütschler regrets the move: "As a tenacious journalist, Kathrin Winzenried questioned and challenged her interview guests in the studio. In 'Kassensturz', she has shown great commitment to consumers and thus strengthened the show's advocacy profile."
The successor to Kathrin Winzenried has not yet been determined. SRF will advertise the position.
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The former SRF Germany correspondent succeeds Ueli Schmezer, who hosted the consumer program from 1996 to 2021. Together with Kathrin Winzenried, Bettina Ramseier will alternate as host of the consumer program.
Bettina Ramseier studied business journalism and communications in Winterthur and at the Free University of Berlin, as well as new media journalism at the University of Leipzig. The 41-year-old has been a TV journalist for almost 20 years: first at Tele Züri, then as business editor at SRF for "ECO," the "Tagesschau" and "10vor10. She also interned at German media outlets such as n-TV and "Die Welt" in Berlin.
From 2015, Bettina Ramseier worked as a producer at "10vor10" before taking over the correspondent post in Berlin in October 2018. Now Bettina Ramseier has returned to Zurich.
Commenting on her new role, Bettina Ramseier says: "I have immersed myself deeply in another country, accompanied the powerful and experienced the everyday life of Germans - and learned a lot about Switzerland in the process. I'm looking forward to being able to contribute my skills to an important, investigative program like 'Kassensturz' in the future. What a privilege, what a meaningful task to expose grievances and give a voice to those who are otherwise not heard."
Kassensturz was first broadcast in January 1974, and Roger Schawinski is considered its inventor.
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Bettina Ramseier studied business journalism and communications in Winterthur and at the Free University of Berlin, as well as new media journalism at the University of Leipzig. The 41-year-old has been a TV journalist for almost 20 years: first at Tele Züri, then as business editor at SRF for "ECO," the "Tagesschau" and "10vor10. In addition, she interned at German media such as n-TV or The world in Berlin.
From 2015, Bettina Ramseier worked as a producer at "10vor10" before taking over the correspondent post in Berlin in October 2018. Now Bettina Ramseier is returning to Zurich, where she is expected to host "Kassensturz" for the first time in spring 2022.
Commenting on her new role, Bettina Ramseier says: "I have immersed myself deeply in another country, accompanied the powerful and experienced the everyday life of Germans - and learned a lot about Switzerland in the process. I'm looking forward to being able to contribute my skills to an important, investigative program like 'Kassensturz' in the future. What a privilege, what a meaningful task to expose grievances and give a voice to those who are otherwise not heard."
The current presenter Kathrin Winzenried is increasing her workload and will present the background magazine for consumers together with Bettina Ramseier.
"Kassensturz" Editorial Director Christian Dütschler says: "As a tenacious journalist, Bettina Ramseier will question and challenge her interview guests in the studio. I am very pleased that she will strengthen 'Kassensturz' as the independent voice of Swiss consumers and will take a critical look at topics such as consumption, money and work. Bettina Ramseier and Kathrin Winzenried will give the show profile as two strong presenters together with the team."
Bettina Ramseier succeeds Ueli Schmezer, who has decided to move on professionally to devote himself to his own projects. He is expected to appear in front of the camera for the last time as presenter of "Kassensturz" on December 21, 2021. Bettina Ramseier's successor as Germany correspondent has not yet been decided.
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After 25 years with "Kassensturz," including nine years as deputy editorial director, and a total of 37 years with Swiss Radio and Television SRF, 61-year-old Ueli Schmezer has decided to pursue new career paths, SRF said in a statement Wednesday. Schmezer has not yet decided on his future activities.
"With the departure of Ueli Schmezer, an era will come to an end. For 25 years, together with the editorial team of 'Kassensturz', he has stood up for consumers in Switzerland and has thus become, so to speak, the 'advocate of the public'. This cannot be appreciated enough. I regret his departure and thank Ueli Schmezer very much for his great commitment to the public service," says Tristan Brenn, Editor-in-Chief Video.
Ueli Schmezer is expected to host his last "Kassensturz" show before Christmas 2021 and will leave SRF at the end of January 2022. His successor has not yet been determined and, according to SRF, will be settled in the coming months.
From discovery at a talent show to audience advocate
In the early 1980s, TV producer Toni Wachter saw Ueli Schmezer at an event for up-and-coming talent in the show business and invited him to a camera test, where he impressed. Since 1983, Schmezer has worked in various capacities for Swiss radio and television.
At the same time as working for Swiss television, he was also an editor and presenter for various programs on Radio DRS from 1984 to 1995. He was even a co-founder and the very first host of the talk show "Focus.
Finally, in 1996, he moved to "Kassensturz," where Schmezer has been the face of the magazine for 25 years and, together with the editorial team, has championed the concerns of consumers. From 1999, he also served as the magazine's deputy editorial director for nine years. During his time at "Kassensturz," however, he repeatedly appeared in front of the camera for other TV formats.
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These were partly presented as facts, the UBI announced after its public deliberation in Lucerne. The view of the challenged and named business owner of a gemstone company had been insufficiently expressed.
Formulations and design elements such as the music were tendentious, as the UBI further ruled. The subsequent studio discussion with a cantonal data protection officer about video surveillance in the workplace also did nothing to change the audience's opinion. The "Kassensturz" report thus violated the requirement of factual fairness, as did the online summary of SRF 4 News, the UBI found.
However, the court rejected a complaint against another "Kassensturz" report. This was about the role of traders at livestock markets. It is true that there were deficiencies in the amount of the so-called sofarente for the importers. However, these would not have distorted the public's opinion.
In addition, the representatives of the livestock trade could have adequately commented on the allegations that thanks to the import rights it is easy to make money and there is collusion in livestock markets.
Jesus satire permissible
The UBI also did not reprimand a contribution in the satirical late-night show "Deville". In it, an invited artist called Jesus a "mega influencer" and speculated about how Jesus would do business today, for example as a cruise organizer with deep-sea hiking or in a nail salon.
In the eyes of the UBI, the comparison of Jesus with influencers could offend religious feelings. However, the decisive factor for the rejection of the complaint was that the article did not target Jesus but the questionable business practices of influencers.
Thus, the central beliefs of Christians were not affected. The fundamental right to freedom of belief and conscience was also not violated. The UBI added that it had to limit its examination to strict questions of law and did not comment on questions of style or taste. (SDA)
According to the PR Trendmonitor, respondents have by far the most respect for the research team of the TV consumer magazine "Kassensturz" (44 percent). One in four communications professionals fears the Tamedia editorial team (24 percent). Republic - the digital magazine for politics, business, society and culture - lands in third place with 18 percent. Swiss Radio and Television / SRF follows in fourth place (14 percent).
Less of a headache for the PR pros, however, is the magazine's research Reports, of which only one percent fear critical reporting.
An overview of the most feared Swiss investigative newsrooms:
- "Kassensturz" (44 percent)
- Tamedia editorial team (24 percent)
- Republic (18 percent)
- SRF (14 percent)
- Investigativ.ch (12 percent)
- NZZ (11 percent)
- SRG SSR (6 percent)
- Reportage (1 percent)
The PR Trend Monitor 2019 surveyed 130 professionals and executives from media outlets and PR agencies online. The survey was conducted in March 2019.
This was announced by the family on Monday in the Limmattaler Zeitung. Wettler worked for a long time as a journalist, among others for the Nationalzeitung and Tat. He was involved in the founding of the program "Kassensturz". From 1979 to 1982, he was its editor-in-chief. For a long time, he worked as an independent communications consultant.
Wettler was born in Zurich, but was mainly active in his home town of Dietikon ZH. In 2000, he was elected to the municipal council for the SP. There he was particularly active in energy and environmental issues. In 2014, he ran unsuccessfully for the Dietikon city council. In 2015, he resigned from the party and continued his political activities as a non-party member. In February, he had to resign from the municipal council for health reasons. (SDA)
Teaser image: SRF
The controversial "Kassensturz" program was broadcast 13 years ago, but still keeps judges and lawyers busy to this day. The TV report dealt with the business practices of insurance brokers, with the journalists resorting to the hidden camera and recording a very bad consultation. To protect the person filmed, they pixelated his face and distorted his voice. However, this was not enough for the insurance man, which is why he pressed charges against the journalists. He was not yet successful in the Dielsdorf ZH district court. It acquitted the SRF employees, whereupon he appealed the judgment. The High Court then ruled in his favor and sentenced the "Kassensturz" journalists to conditional fines, which they in turn did not accept and appealed to the Federal Supreme Court. The Federal Supreme Court confirmed the convictions.
Public interest is more important
The journalists finally appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, which ultimately sided with them again. In February 2015, the ECtHR held that the public interest in the actions of insurance brokers outweighed the protection of privacy. Convictions such as those handed down by the Zurich High Court and the Federal Supreme Court could also lead to the media being reluctant to express criticism. The case was therefore sent back to Switzerland - where it has now landed back at the Zurich High Court via a second round at the Federal Supreme Court. This court has now inevitably followed the ECHR and definitively acquitted the journalists. With the ruling from Strasbourg and the overturning of the Swiss convictions, the hidden camera is once again a legitimate means of investigative research.
SRF remains cautious
Nevertheless, SRF will only use the hidden camera with restraint in future. "It is the last resort of research, when a matter of public interest can only be documented with hidden footage," said editor-in-chief Tristan Brenn at the request of the SDA news agency. (SDA)