Press Council stands up for SRG's independence
The Federal Councils should grant the SRG a general license in the future. The Presidium of the Swiss Press Council calls on the National Council to reject the motion.
Defending freedom of information and the independence of the media is one of the Swiss Press Council's most noble tasks. For this reason, the Presidium of the Swiss Press Council asks the National Council to reject the motion of its Committee for Transport and Telecommunications at the session of March 14, 2017. This calls for the Federal Councils to grant the SRG a general license in the future. Today, the granting of the SRG license is the sole responsibility of the Federal Council. Giving parliament this authority would inevitably lead to a politicization of the licensing process, the Press Council said in a statement Wednesday. And further: "The independence of the SRG editorial offices would be jeopardized. The Press Council recalls that media freedom - guaranteed by Article 17 of the Federal Constitution - is indispensable for the proper functioning of a democratic society."
