More than 35 years ago, "Radio Grischa - ds Radio vu do" went "on air" for the first time as part of the "Südostschweiz media family". As a result, the radio station has "played its way into the hearts of people in Graubünden and beyond as a likeable and identity-creating voice and brand", writes Somedia in the press release.

The high level of identification with "Radio Grischa" was also reflected in the approximately 13,000 signatures that were collected as part of a petition to ensure that the brand name remains part of the "Südostschweiz media family" (Markt-kom.com reported). "In personal exchanges with the population, people repeatedly sympathized with 'Radio Grischa', so it quickly became clear that 'Radio Grischa' is still firmly anchored in the hearts of the people of Graubünden. Like an ibex: not visible everywhere, but always there," summarizes Silvio Lebrument, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Somedia.

As a result, "Südostschweiz" will be broadcasting "Radio Grischa - ds Radio vu do" on all frequencies throughout the broadcasting area from Friday morning. RSO - Radio Südostschweiz" will also remain as a web channel. "This will significantly strengthen 'Radio Grischa' within the 'Südostschweiz media family', so that the ibex will once again triumph on the peaks of south-eastern Switzerland," Somedia CEO Thomas Kundert is convinced.

"The initiators of Radio Alpin, Schawinski and Stefan Bühler, had tried in vain to persuade the Zurich Commercial Court to prohibit Somedia from using the 'Radio Grischa' brand," Somedia announced on Friday. However, the court rejected all applications.

Radio Grischa went on air in 1988, but was renamed Radio Südostschweiz RSO in 2015. "With this renaming, the name Radio Grischa disappeared from the public eye," argued Schawinski and his business partner, as they explain on the Radio Alpin website. If a trademark is not used commercially for at least five years, it is no longer protected under Swiss law.

With the planned launch of Radio Alpin at the beginning of 2025, Schawinski and Bühler wanted to revive the "extremely popular name Radio Grischa" and give the new station this name.

"Brand continues to be used"

Somedia, on the other hand, emphasized that "the Radio Grischa brand with the iconic ibex" is still being used and continues to be offered as an internet radio station by various streaming service providers, for example. The commercial court has now recognized that Somedia never abandoned the Radio Grischa brand, Somedia wrote.

At the beginning of the year, the Graubünden-based broadcaster Radio Südostschweiz lost its license for 2025 after 35 years when the Federal Office of Communications awarded radio licenses. Schawinski had been awarded the license with an application under the name Radio Alpin.

Schawinski denies defeat

It is not true that the trademark dispute over Radio Grischa was decided in favor of Somedia, Schawinski and Bühler contradicted in a statement on the same day. The only issue before the Zurich Commercial Court was the use of the company name Radio Grischa, which Somedia can now continue to use.

"However, it is the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) and not the Commercial Court that decides on the use of the Radio Grischa trademark. The proceedings before the IPI are still pending," wrote Schawinski and Bühler.

"We founded our company under the name Radio Alpin Grischa AG some time ago and had it entered in the commercial register. We are sticking to the Radio Grischa brand for our station," emphasize the radio producers. (SDA)

Based on the Swiss Trademark Protection Act, the application demands that Somedia's ownership claim to the Radio Grischa trademark be revoked. Until 2015, the radio station of the Somedia Group from Chur broadcast under the name Radio Grischa. The station was then renamed Radio Südostschweiz.

Schawinski is now invoking a passage in the law according to which the ownership claim to a trademark lapses if it is not used commercially for five years. He confirmed this to the Keystone-SDA news agency.

He is currently on the verge of signing a contract for his own studio in Chur, Schawinski continued. Around 20 people will work there for the new radio station in future.

Concession received at the beginning of the year

At the beginning of the year, Graubünden-based broadcaster Radio Südostschweiz lost its license for 2025 when the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) awarded radio licenses. The contract was awarded to media entrepreneur Schawinski, who submitted an application under the name Radio Alpin.

He wants to break up Somedia's monopoly position and guarantee a greater diversity of opinion, the media entrepreneur told Keystone-SDA at the time. (SDA/swi)

"Ds Radio vu do" will remain "ds Radio vu do", emphasizes programme director Melanie Salis. "The proven team will carry on the spirit of Radio Grischa". "With the name change, we want to strengthen our media family, which consists of the newspaper Südostschweiz, the online platform Suedostschweiz.ch, TV Südostschweiz and Radio Südostschweiz," says Andrea Masüger, CEO of Somedia. The change of station name also goes hand in hand with the expanded license area, which now also includes the canton of Glarus. "We cannot operate under the name Radio Grischa in Glarnerland," continues Andrea Masüger.

Apart from the name, nothing significant will be changed in the radio concept. The voices will remain the same and the mix of news, moderation and good music will also be retained. "In particular, our focus on regional reporting will continue to increase in quality thanks to new working tools and processes," says program director Melanie Salis with conviction. The radio will also retain its tried-and-tested mascot. "Our Grischaböckli will return from his trip around the world. It will be a little more mature and cheeky and will continue to stand for our radio," says Melanie Salis.

Radio Südostschweiz - new name and new location

Somedia has invested a seven-figure sum in new studios and technology to give Radio Südostschweiz a good start into the future. Radio Südostschweiz will work together with the editorial team of the newspaper Südostschweiz, the online team and TV Südostschweiz in the new media center in Chur in the News Zone. The new way of working is intended in particular to promote the exchange of information, ideas and experience.

Radio with tradition

Radio Südostschweiz continues the long private radio tradition in Graubünden and Sarganserland. Under the direction of Matthias Lauterburg, Radio Grischa was first heard on Saturday, June 13, 1987. The founding team included well-known names such as Felix Benesch, Tristan Brenn, Claudia Cadruvi, Jürg Rageth and Gieri Spescha. The short trial, which was financed by the then Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, lasted 30 days. The following year, Radio Grischa received its definitive license and was able to start broadcasting in Nordbünden and Sarganserland on December 9, 1988. Radio Piz Corvatsch, its sister station in the southern Grisons, was launched on January 1, 1990. For economic reasons, some of the main shareholders withdrew from both radios at the end of the 1990s. The then Südostschweiz Mediengruppe, now Somedia, took over the economic responsibility, ensured a healthy financial basis and enabled Radio Grischa and Radio Piz, which broadcast under the name Radio Engiadina from February 2, 2004, to continue broadcasting.

Nothing will change for listeners in southern Grisons, Radio Grischa said in a statement on Wednesday. At the usual hours, an independent, regional program will be created from the Samedan studio. By merging the brands into a single station name, Südostschweiz Radio aims to strengthen its brand presence, reduce duplication and also make it easier for listeners from outside the region to identify the station.

Also from January 2014, a separate program for the Engadine will be produced and broadcast. For this purpose, between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m., the Radio Grischa program will be split into two independent parts. For South Grisons, a local radio team from the Samedan studio reports on local and regional events. In the coming weeks, this program will be further developed and geared even more to the specific needs of the audience in the south of the canton. According to the announcement, Radio Grischa wants to additionally intensify its reporting from the Engadine with local village events.

Last March, the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) granted Radio Grischa a definitive license for the Südostschweiz region until the end of 2019. DETEC had come to the conclusion that the Südostschweiz Media Group dominated the market but was not abusing this position. Schawinski and his partners from Radio Südost in Gründung appealed to the Federal Administrative Court.

Lebrument subsequently requested that the suspensive effect of his competitors' appeal be withdrawn. The court has now approved the main points of this request. According to the interim decision, the suspensive effect would mean that neither Radio Grischa nor any other local radio station would be broadcast in the canton of Glarus and in Misox in Graubünden. There is an important public interest in ensuring that this does not happen. In view of the proceedings, which have already lasted several years, there is now also an urgency to implement the license agreement. This is a reason for the withdrawal of the suspensive effect. (Interim ruling of September 16, 2013 in proceedings A-2252/2013)
(SDA)
 

Schifferle is leaving the company "by mutual agreement", the broadcaster announced. The 47-year-old will not actually be leaving until the end of February next year, as Managing Director Silvio Lebrument explained on request. Until then, Schifferle will be working on another project.

After Martina Fehr, Melanie Salis is the second woman to hold the position of program director. Salis is a trained cabinet maker and has been working for radio stations for 18 years. She joined Radio Grischa/Radio Engiadina 13 years ago as a presenter. Salis is a mother of three and lives in Domat/Ems. (SDA)

The license is valid until the end of 2019, as the Uvek announced on Wednesday. The concession had already been awarded in 2008 to Radio Grischa, which belongs to the Südostschweiz media group. Radio Südost came away empty-handed.

Schawinski and his partners then filed a complaint with the Federal Administrative Court. They argued that the Südostschweiz Group was abusing its dominant position. The judges upheld the appeal, overturned the licensing decision and referred the matter back to the Federal Administrative Court for a reassessment. Since then, Radio Grischa has been broadcasting with a provisional license.

Position not abused

The Uvek now came to the conclusion that the Südostschweiz Media Group dominated the market, but did not abuse this position. There were no conclusive indications of systematic journalistic abuse. The diversity of opinion and offerings was not violated. In its decision, the Uvek also relied on an expert opinion of the Competition Commission (Weko).

The decision can be appealed again to the Federal Administrative Court. Schawinski and his partners reserve this option, as they announced. The decision will be made after a detailed analysis of the "incomprehensible" ruling. (SDA)

The Weko has found Südostschweiz Medien to be in a dominant position in the areas of readership, print advertising and radio advertising. This was announced independently on Thursday by Südostschweiz Medien and its opponent, Roger Schawinski's Radio Südost and his partner Stefan Bühler from Chur.
 
However, the Weko's opinion has no immediate impact on the tussle for the license between Radio Grischa of Südostschweiz Medien and Radio Südost. The decisive factor for awarding the license is not the mere fact of a dominant market position, but rather any abuse of this position. Whether this is the case must now be examined by the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom).
 
However, should Bakom find abuse by Südostschweiz Medien, Radio Grischa would lose its current provisional license and Radio Südost would be awarded the contract. Both parties expect a decision before the end of this year.
 
The dispute over the license dates back to 2008. At that time, the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) awarded the VHF local radio license for Graubünden and Glarus to Radio Grischa. The unsuccessful Radio Südost of Schawinski and Bühler then filed an appeal with the Federal Administrative Court. The judges in Bern upheld the appeal, annulled the licensing decision and referred the matter back to DETEC for a reassessment. The latter called in the Weko.

38-year-old Martina Fehr was the first program director of Radio Grischa/ Radio Engiadina and held this management position for around four years. She had previously worked as an editor at the station. Fehr will remain with the radio station until a suitable successor is found.

Aebli has been working for the station since December 2008. He replaces Susanne Stöckl, who is expecting her first child. This was announced by the private radio station on Tuesday.