To the point: Political beer ideas
In November 2007, the Federal Council submitted a proposal to Parliament for the continuation of the Media Agreement with the EU. The aim was for Swiss films to continue to benefit from European film funding.
In November 2007, the Federal Council submitted a proposal to Parliament for the continuation of the Media Agreement with the EU. The aim was for Swiss films to continue to benefit from European film funding.
The reason for the rejection by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States (AK-SR) was that Switzerland would have to adopt the "Television without Borders" directive. In particular, this directive stipulates that advertising windows that foreign broadcasters set up for the Swiss market now only have to comply with the law at the broadcaster's headquarters. As not all EU states prohibit alcohol and political advertising, beer advertising, for example, could now also be directed at Swiss consumers. The AK referred the matter back to the Federal Council with the instruction to "look for possibilities with the EU that would take better account of Switzerland's media policy interests".
In January 2009, the same commission accepted the lifting of the ban on advertising wine and beer for foreign advertising windows and for local Swiss television stations, but not for the SRG and national Swiss stations. An idiotic and completely illogical decision. Different yardsticks are used in one and the same medium. That is one thing. The fact that advertising money flows abroad is another.
The antics continued this week: the Telecommunications Committee of the Council of States (KVF) is unanimously in favor of the media-film promotion agreement with the EU. However, contrary to the Federal Council's proposal, it does not want to lift all alcohol advertising bans in the electronic media. For reasons of prevention and the protection of minors, it wants to retain the ban on alcohol advertising. By 8 votes to 5, it decided to ban all broadcasters aimed at the Swiss public from advertising alcoholic beverages on television. This would not change anything for the SRG compared to the current law. However, local broadcasters would again be prohibited from advertising beer and wine in future. This is the current status of the consultations.
The matter will be discussed again in the Council of States in the spring and in the National Council in the summer. We can prepare ourselves for a lot. Prevention fundies and representatives of the free market will be at loggerheads. The sparks will fly. It's nice that our representatives have time to deal with such things. After all, it's all about prevention, so common sense can fall by the wayside.
The hither and thither of political authorities is one thing, but people forget that television advertising does not stop at national borders. Even if it's just the beer sponsorship of the Tatort crime series on ARD.
The reason for the rejection by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States (AK-SR) was that Switzerland would have to adopt the "Television without Borders" directive. In particular, this directive stipulates that advertising windows that foreign broadcasters set up for the Swiss market now only have to comply with the law at the broadcaster's headquarters. As not all EU states prohibit alcohol and political advertising, beer advertising, for example, could now also be directed at Swiss consumers. The AK referred the matter back to the Federal Council with the instruction to "look for possibilities with the EU that would take better account of Switzerland's media policy interests".
In January 2009, the same commission accepted the lifting of the ban on advertising wine and beer for foreign advertising windows and for local Swiss television stations, but not for the SRG and national Swiss stations. An idiotic and completely illogical decision. Different yardsticks are used in one and the same medium. That is one thing. The fact that advertising money flows abroad is another.
The antics continued this week: the Telecommunications Committee of the Council of States (KVF) is unanimously in favor of the media-film promotion agreement with the EU. However, contrary to the Federal Council's proposal, it does not want to lift all alcohol advertising bans in the electronic media. For reasons of prevention and the protection of minors, it wants to retain the ban on alcohol advertising. By 8 votes to 5, it decided to ban all broadcasters aimed at the Swiss public from advertising alcoholic beverages on television. This would not change anything for the SRG compared to the current law. However, local broadcasters would again be prohibited from advertising beer and wine in future. This is the current status of the consultations.
The matter will be discussed again in the Council of States in the spring and in the National Council in the summer. We can prepare ourselves for a lot. Prevention fundies and representatives of the free market will be at loggerheads. The sparks will fly. It's nice that our representatives have time to deal with such things. After all, it's all about prevention, so common sense can fall by the wayside.
The hither and thither of political authorities is one thing, but people forget that television advertising does not stop at national borders. Even if it's just the beer sponsorship of the Tatort crime series on ARD.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
pc.meier@werbewoche.ch
