"Arena": UBI approves complaints against SRF
According to the Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI), SRF's "Arena" program on the war in Ukraine violated the principle of objectivity. The UBI also deemed the Federal Council's speech on the "Frontex" proposal broadcast by Radio SRF to be contrary to programming law.
In the discussion program "Arena" about "Party leaders on the Ukraine war" broadcast on March 18, 2022 on SRF television, the audience "was unable to form its own opinion on the apodictically presented qualification of the statement of the SVP parliamentary group president by the presenter," the UBI announced after its decision on Thursday evening, September 1, 2022.
The moderator's interview with SVP parliamentary group president Thomas Aeschi was criticized in three popular complaints. According to the UBI, the moderator critically addressed a statement made by Aeschi during the special debate in the National Council and described it as "racist. He referred to a statement by the Federal Commission against Racism and to prosecutors and criminal law experts who were not mentioned by name.
Duty of care violated
With a misleading justification, the editorial staff had violated journalistic duties of care, wrote the UBI. Since the interview sequences complained of did not only concern a side issue, the broadcast violated the requirement of factual fairness. The UBI approved the three complaints by seven votes to two.
In another complaint, the UBI complained that the diversity requirement had been violated. This stipulates that broadcasts relating to a referendum must be balanced and impartial during the sensitive period for the formation of the will, in order to ensure equal opportunities for both camps.
Before each federal referendum, Radio SRF 1 broadcasts an address by the responsible Federal Councilor on the proposal. On April 25, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer spoke about the adoption of the EU Regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex proposal), which was put to the vote on May 15, 2022.
A popular complaint against this claimed that the exclusive presentation of the Federal Council's opinion contradicted constitutional principles and the requirement of diversity under broadcasting law.
The members of the UBI shared this view in the consultation. There is no legal obligation for SRF to present the opinion of the Federal Council in this particular format and without equal presentation of the opposing opinion, the UBI wrote. It unanimously approved the complaint. (sda.)
