Council of States calls for rules on SRG cooperations

By 21 votes to 15, the small chamber of parliament on Tuesday approved a motion from its Commission for Transport and Telecommunications. The National Council will now decide.

This was triggered by the founding of the marketing company Admeira, the joint venture between SRG, Swisscom and Ringier. The companies want to use the joint advertising platform to strengthen their competitiveness against foreign competitors such as Google or Facebook.

In parliament, this aroused fears that other media - especially regional newspapers - could be weakened as a result. Several parliamentary initiatives were submitted in this regard. In the view of the Council of States, however, it is not Parliament that should now formulate rules, but the Federal Council within the framework of the planned media law.

Big machine at work

Admeira endangers media diversity, said Beat Vonlanthen (CVP/FR), one of the originators. "There is a big machine at work," he warned. Countless media titles would be offered directly as a means of transport for advertising messages. SRG and Swisscom were working exclusively with Ringier on this.

"The market power of the new provider means that regional media will be further marginalized," Vonlanthen said. All media must have the opportunity to participate in such a project, he added.

"You're making a thinking error"

Media Minister Doris Leuthard opposed the demanded regulation. This would oblige SRG to cooperate with others, she said. In which areas, however, the proposal leaves open. It is not the SRG's task to ensure media diversity.

From Leuthard's point of view, there is a misunderstanding anyway. "You are making a mistake in thinking," said the media minister. The fact that printed newspapers are losing advertising revenue has nothing to do with the SRG. The advertising that print loses goes to the online sector. There, as is well known, the SRG has an advertising ban. Publishers like Tamedia, which are well positioned in the online sector, earn a lot of money.

Share content with others

When it comes to Admeira, the text of the motion is also wrong, Leuthard continued. This platform exists with and without SRG. And the SRG is still not allowed to make target-group-specific advertising.

Leuthard emphasized that the Federal Council has no objections to cooperation in general. For example, it welcomes "shared content," the sharing of audiovisual content with other providers. However, this is not unproblematic either. There are people who offer such content professionally. Such a regulation would put them at a disadvantage, Leuthard pointed out.

More fees for private

The Council of States also dealt with other SRG proposals on Tuesday. It tacitly approved a motion by National Councilor Kurt Fluri (FDP/SO). The SRG should be obliged to consider independent Swiss providers for commissioned productions and film technical services. The Federal Council had expressed its agreement with this.

The Council of States also advocated that private radio and television broadcasters should quickly receive the intended maximum from the fee pot. By 39 votes to 4 with 1 abstention, it approved a corresponding proposal from the National Council. The revised Radio and Television Act provides for a fee share for private broadcasters of 4 to 6 percent.

The Council of States, on the other hand, quietly rejected a motion from the National Council calling for a cap on the level of fees. From the point of view of the small chamber, the request has become superfluous. Leuthard has now held out the prospect of a cap. In the future, the fees are to be well below CHF 400. (SDA)

Photo: Parliamentary Services, Bern