SRG President advocates strengthening media diversity
The debate on media policy in Switzerland is likely to intensify further, according to SRG Board of Directors Chairman Jean-Michel Cina.
Should the halving initiative announced by SVP circles actually come about, it would have a massive impact on SRG's budget if adopted, Cina said in an interview with the Valaisan messenger. SRG's public services had already been debated during the "No Billag" vote.
The fact is that just under four years ago, the people rejected the bill by a resounding 71.6 percent. Should there be another referendum on licence fee money, SRG will once again defend the public service with great commitment. For example, its important contribution to minorities in Switzerland.
The skepticism and criticism of the media companies has increased even more in recent months due to the Corona pandemic. This makes it all the more important that media diversity in Switzerland is maintained or even strengthened. And he was not just talking about SRG, but also about the private media houses.
"Switzerland as a media center must remain strong," China continued. He added that various politicians had already made initial proposals and outlined possible solutions for maintaining media diversity. It is crucial for the quality of political and social debates - and thus for a functioning democracy.
The fact that opinions in German- and French-speaking Switzerland diverged widely in the vote on media support is related to the fact that media concentration is more advanced in French-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland. Where this concentration is more pronounced, voters were more likely to approve the support package for the media.
After the vote on media subsidies, Zurich SVP National Councilor Gregor Rutz had announced that an initiative to halve SRG fee money was in the works. A non-partisan committee is tackling this. The SRG is needed. But it does too much in areas where private companies are active. (SDA)
