Franz Fischlin gives up moderation of the "Tagesschau

For more than 18 years, Franz Fischlin has shaped the news flagship as anchor with his great journalistic commitment. Now he has decided to hand over his anchoring duties at "Tagesschau" in the summer of 2022 and start a new chapter outside SRF, SRF writes in a statement.

Franz Fischlin: "I am very grateful for the many great years at SRF and will continue to be involved in journalism in the next stage, including the debate about media quality. At the same time, however, I'm looking forward to greater flexibility in terms of time without a fixed roster in order to tackle new, exciting projects. I'd also like to provide even more support for my family, my children and my wife, who has responsibilities at SRF."

Tristan Brenn, Editor-in-Chief Video at SRF: "Over the past almost 20 years, Franz Fischlin has played a decisive role in ensuring the public's great trust in the "Tagesschau". He has become an institution in Swiss living rooms, and now an era is coming to an end. We will miss his credible conveyance of information and his style. We owe Franz a great debt of gratitude."

It is not yet clear who will succeed Franz Fischlin on the "Tagesschau" anchor team. It is therefore also not yet clear exactly when Franz Fischlin will anchor the main edition for the last time in the summer. The position will be advertised internally and externally.

Franz Fischlin: Quality journalism in the blood

Franz Fischlin wrote early on as a freelance journalist for various newspapers. He picked up the theoretical rucksack by studying journalism and communication sciences at the University of Fribourg. He also trained as a photographer, including at the School of Applied Arts in Bern. Before Franz Fischlin found his way to television, he worked for a long time as a radio journalist. He was a presenter and editor-in-chief at Radio extraBern, then worked for Radio DRS for a total of nine years as a presenter, editor, producer and trainer, including for the "Espresso" program and the "News".

After print and radio, the medium of television followed. Franz Fischlin became news anchor at the new private station TV 3 in 1999. He then moved to Schweizer Fernsehen, where he was part of the editorial and moderation team that launched the new "MittagsMagazin" in January 2001 and later the "MittagsTalk". There he also became deputy editorial director. Finally, Franz Fischlin joined "Tagesschau" in 2002 as anchorman of the midday edition. On February 13, 2004, he anchored his first main edition of "Tagesschau" and has now been anchor of the news flagship on Swiss television for over 18 years.

Franz Fischlin also worked as a reporter and repeatedly for other TV projects. These included special series of broadcasts before federal elections or the moderation of special programs. For example, in the context of the U.S. presidential election or the Brexit vote. As a special correspondent, he also reported several times for SRF from abroad. He also hosted the "Medienclub" from 2015 to 2020.

In addition to his work at SRF, Franz Fischlin is involved in various bodies for quality in journalism: He is co-chairman of the jury for the Media Prize for Quality Journalism and a board member of the Quality in Journalism Association. He also co-founded the youth media week "YouNews". As jury president of the CNN Award, he launched an international initiative to support research by young journalists. He passed on his knowledge as a lecturer at the MAZ media training center in Lucerne and lectured at various schools and universities on the subject of media consumption and media credibility. In 2011, Franz Fischlin became the first media professional in the information sector to be named "Swiss Television Star of the Year" at the Swiss Television Awards.