Wash my fee fur, but don't get me wet

Many Swiss people now seem to agree on one point: After a No to the No Billag initiative, SRG will have to go over the books. Terms that come up: bloated, out of control, redimensioning.

SRG should be humble - and not just apply the savings lever to hidden processes. But also "where it hurts". Where people notice that SRG is doing what is required of it: cutting back, doing without. Concentrate on the essential tasks. Omit the unnecessary.

So much for the theory. But if we move on to the practical side, we can see that many people are no longer in agreement. What can be cut? What can we do without? And who is actually "one"?

The first pawn to fall could be the replay channel SRF info. It doesn't cost much and probably has a much larger following than you might think, even in the age of replay and media libraries. The main thing is to set an example.

The problem is that any deletion will deprive some of the fee payers of their personal identification with SRG. And with it its legitimacy. Everyone has their own idea of what must remain - and what can all go.

An example: If it were up to me, the following SRG could be implemented immediately and save hundreds of millions: Radio SRF1, SRF2, and SRF3 would be closed and replaced by two stations: Radio SRF Music and Radio SRF Info. Radio SRF Music will be entirely created by the creators of "Black Music Special," "Sounds!", "Pop Routes," "Rock Special," and "Sonntagsmusik" - in the evenings they host, during the day they just put together the music. Radio SRF Info works similarly to SRF4 with repeats, but is also supplemented by the programs "Focus," "Input" and "Doppelpunkt.

Television: Here, too, a single channel is created: SRF TV. SRF2 throws all sports out of the program - except Alpine skiing and soccer.

The following SRF1 programs will be placed around live sports: "Arena," "Rundschau," "Kassensturz," "10vor10," "Tagesschau," "Netz Natur," "Reporter," "Club" and "DOK. These formats adjust their broadcast times to live sports and, if necessary, switch to the live stream. SRF TV fills programming gaps with historical recordings from SRF Archiv. The online offering is limited to the media library and live stream function. Online news is left to the private broadcasters.

So there you have it: a lean SRG that covers everything I need. Two radio stations, one TV station, some online. It was with a heavy heart that I parted with RSI, TSI and RTS - despite all my sympathy for our non-German-speaking parts of the country. I simply used their services too rarely and in many cases didn't even understand them properly. No offense intended, right?

That's why I'm happy to pay the (greatly reduced) Billag fee. Do you? Probably not. And that brings us back to the aforementioned problem. The solution to which will ultimately be: Everything stays the same. SRG has to meet the countless expectations of countless fee payers. And meet just as many requirements. Perhaps - despite the rage for reform and the bashing of fees - it's not doing such a bad job at the end of the day?

Thomas Häusermann, Editor-in-Chief a.i. Werbewoche

t.haeusermann@werbewoche.ch