National Council Commission wants to oblige SRG to open content

The KVF took the decision as part of its deliberations on the Federal Council's public service report. It is dissatisfied with this report: it had already ordered additional reports and adopted motions at earlier meetings. The committee has now formulated further concerns, as announced by the parliamentary services on Tuesday. The committee voted in favor of the "Open Content" motion by 13 votes to 10 with 2 abstentions. The SRG has a unique pool of content and a dominant position in the area of news videos with national and supra-regional content, according to the justification for the motion.

No preferential treatment of individual media

In order to avoid market distortions as far as possible, it is important that fee-financed content reaches the widest possible audience and can be used or distributed by the largest possible number of providers. According to the Commission, all providers should be equally entitled. Any preferential treatment of individual private media on the basis of cooperation would therefore be inadmissible. Secondary use is to be regulated by licenses.

Against Radio Swiss Pop and SRF Virus

The Commission is also calling for the discontinuation of special-interest radio stations that do not actually perform a public service mandate. The Federal Council should amend the Radio and Television Act (RTVA) and the SRG license accordingly. The KVF is considering stations such as Radio Swiss Pop, Radio Swiss Classic, Radio Swiss Jazz as well as Radio SRF Virus, Radio SRF Musikwelle and Radio RTS Option Musique. By reducing the number of special-interest stations, the fees could be lowered and the SRG would be better able to concentrate on its core mandate, it states.

Public service outside the SRG

Finally, the committee wants to instruct the Federal Council to strengthen the electronic public service offering outside the SRG. Specifically, the rule in the RTVA according to which a broadcaster can acquire a maximum of two television licenses and two radio licenses should be abolished. A report by the administration has shown that synergies are possible, writes the Commission. This would increase the chance that regional television channels in particular could achieve greater profitability and quality.

Check advertising restriction

In addition, the KVF has given the administration further instructions. Firstly, it would like a report on the "duplication" between the SRG regional journals and the news from private radio stations. Secondly, it would like the administration to examine the effects of restricting advertising at SRG. The KVF had already formulated demands in the form of parliamentary procedural requests last summer. For example, it wants to instruct the Federal Council to ban SRG's online advertising even after 2018. It is also calling for parliament to have a greater say in the SRG concession. At the same time, the KVF wants to restrict SRG's non-licensed activities.

Debate in the spring session

Parliament will decide on all of these proposals. The National Council will deal with the public service report in the spring session. The Council of States had already approved it in the fall session. It was satisfied with it. If the Federal Council has its way, the SRG should continue to offer a comprehensive public service. In the medium term, however, the Federal Council wants to adapt the model to the internet age. (SDA)