The new initiative to reduce the resources of the SSR is attracting sympathy among publishers, showed a round table on Thursday at the Swiss Media Forum. Private groups denounce “a distortion of competition”, the SSR calls for cooperation.
“All the media will be better when the SSR concentrates on its core business”, launched the boss of the CH Media group Peter Wanner on the occasion of the traditional “round of the elephants” bringing together the leaders of the major press groups in Lucerne. Swiss.
Peter Wanner thus admitted “having sympathy” for the text aimed at reducing the radio and TV license fee to 200 francs, presented last March by a bourgeois committee. He notably pointed to the digital offer of the SSR, which directly competes with that of the private sector. “We have a problem, and it needs to be tackled,” said Peter Wanner, calling for a discussion between the SSR and the publishers.
“A problem to solve”
“There are elements in the text that we support,” acknowledged the general manager of the NZZ group, Felix Graf. A drop in resources would allow the SSR to focus more on the essentials, according to him.
“It’s a problem that we have to solve. We have to sit around a table and discuss the framework conditions”, underlined for his part the president of the TX Group Pietro Supino, recalling that the sum made available to the SSR via the royalty is equivalent to what the publishers earn together in the market.
Marc Walder, the boss of the Ringier group, was the only one to say he was opposed to the initiative. He nevertheless called on the SSR to take into account the interests of publishers. “Solutions have to be found and we will find them,” he said.
“We can do things together”
The director general of the SSR Gilles Marchand defended the role of the SSR, which is appreciated by the public. He recalled the savings already made by the company following the vote on the “No Billag” initiative in 2018.
“The debate is necessary. This discussion happens, not only with the publishers, but with the whole of society”, underlined Gilles Marchand.
He called on publishers for cooperation. “We can do things together so that everyone benefits. In the end, you have to see the overall interest of the branch”, declared the Vaudois, recalling the initiative for a common login launched in 2018, precisely at Swiss Media Forum. This instrument is now a reality.
“An alliance for “
In terms of cooperation, Pietro Supino for his part called on his colleagues to conclude an “alliance for ”, an area which has been neglected by the branch in recent years, according to him.
He stressed that the press groups had certainly experienced record results in 2021. Additional revenue is however necessary in order to continue to be able to finance a journalistic offer, pointed out Pietro Supino.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats