Audience Council found SRF golfing an innovative experiment with room for improvement
The SRG.D Audience Council not only completed a five-day adventure trip through Switzerland for the October meeting, it also spent a lot of time on smartphones and tablets. The focus was on "Ready, Steady, Golf!" and the revised SRF app.
"Team Anic versus Team Julian" - this was the starting point of the trimedial format "Ready, Steady, Golf!", which could be followed from September 11 to 15 on SRF 3 radio, SRF zwei television and on the web at Srf3.ch. The focus of the special project was on SRF 3 presenter Anic Lautenschlager and SRF 3 presenter Julian Thorner, who took part in a golf competition with their teams that led from Lake Geneva to Lake Constance. According to the organizers, the primary focus of this trip across Switzerland was not the competition. "Ready Steady Golf!" also aimed to provide new insights into the country and its people on a daily basis.
Web users, radio listeners and television viewers were able to experience the five-day golf event in a variety of ways. For example, via the livestream on Srf3.ch and on TV SRF 2, which joined in early in the morning and broadcast a magazine and an uncommented "Best of Stream" in the evening. Radio SRF 3 followed the action live several times a day, with the start at 7.30 a.m., the checkpoint at midday and the day's finish at around 5 p.m. firmly integrated into the program.
A majority of the audience council described "Ready, Steady, Golf!" as an innovative trimedial experiment in which new technical possibilities were used. The moderation duo Lautenschlager/Thorner was perceived as likeable and confident, and the selection of team members was also pleasing. The comprehensive, clear online offering was also appreciated.
However, according to the Audience Council, the intended goal - to also address the characteristics of the regions and people in "Ready, Steady, Golf!" - was not achieved to the extent expected. It therefore advises that, while continuing to experiment, the information content should be given even more weight than the entertainment content next time. It also suggests rethinking the structure and scope of such formats and playing to the strengths of the various vectors even more consistently.
SRF app as a valuable news source
At the end of 2016, SRF launched a completely revised version of the SRF app and has continued to develop it over the past few months. Alongside the Play SRF app, the SRF app is one of SRF's "main apps" and focuses heavily on news, some of which is enriched with analyses, classifications and background information.
Overall, the SRF app impressed the Public Council. The innovations were well received, with the result that most Council members use the app as a valuable source of news in their everyday lives. The multimedia mix, the journalistic content and the graphic presentation were praised, as were the ease of use and the simple design. The many links, videos and radio reports offer added value, allowing users to obtain more in-depth information on individual topics.
The Audience Council sees potential for improvement in the clarity of the homepage, in the weighting and filtering of regional news, but also in the push concept. It would also be pleased if the newsfeed could be more personalized. (pd)
