public service

PUBLIC SERVICE
BROADCASTING FOR YOUR BENEFIT.
Contents
SRG SSR idée suisse’s public service remit
SRG SSR’s radio and television programmes and online services bring the world into your home
every day, providing news and current affairs, education, music, film, sport, entertainment,
­reportage and other content round the clock. However, there is much more to SRG SSR’s public
service remit. It also covers promoting film, music and literature as well as knowledge transfer
and broadcasting radio and television signals.
Diversity
4
Quality
8
Solidarity
12
Value for money
16
Reach
20
Did you know …?
24
News and current affairs
26
Education
30
Culture
34
Sport
38
Entertainment
42
2
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
SRG SSR’s public service ensures that the Swiss population benefits from basic provision of
­radio and television programmes and that a wide range of opinions are represented. At
the same time, it comprehensively reflects the reality of Swiss life at national level, in the various
­language regions and, on the radio, also at regional level in all socially relevant areas – from politics, culture and business to society, sport and entertainment. Last but not least, SRG SSR contributes to integration between the different parts of the country, exchange between the
language regions and mutual understanding between different cultures. In other words,
SRG SSR sets itself apart from commercial broadcasters by
– addressing the needs of all language regions, majorities and minorities,
– offering a wide range of topics, content and formats,
– playing an active role in creating culture, rather than merely portraying cultural affairs,
– focusing on quality, credibility and relevance instead of ratings,
– and remaining independent of political and economic interests.
This booklet is intended to outline SRG SSR’s public service remit as succinctly and precisely as
possible and give you the most important information in a handy and easy-to-read form.
Jean-Bernard Münch
Chairman of the Board of Directors, SRG SSR idée suisse
Amin Walpen
Director General of SRG SSR idée suisse
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
3
DIVERSITY
SRG SSR aims to serve the wideranging needs of Switzerland’s
­multilingual and multicultural population. Diversity is thus a key
­feature of its offering, its programming and the angles it presents.
SRG SSR reflects Switzerland’s multilingual and multicultural society with its broad spectrum of
radio and television programmes. At the same time, it is Switzerland’s diversity that shapes
the formats, content and angles SRG SSR covers in the fields of news, culture, education, sport
and entertainment. Diversity is thus both a cornerstone of SRG SSR’s leading market position
and a core element of its corporate principles alongside credibility, independence, creativity and
fairness.
Programming diversity remit
Article 93 of the Swiss Federal Constitution states that legislation on radio and television is a
matter for the federal government. Radio and television are to contribute to education and cultural development, to the unrestricted formation of opinion and to entertainment, and they
must also take account of the aspects that are unique to Switzerland and of the cantons’ needs,
present events objectively and reflect the diversity of opinions.
The Concession describes in detail the remit that SRG SSR must fulfil with all of its radio and
­television programming as well as other media offerings in the respective language regions.
The Concession also covers the following points:
– Unrestricted formation of opinion by the general public through comprehensive, diverse and
objective information, in particular on political, economic and social issues
– Cultural development, strengthening Switzerland’s cultural heritage and promoting Swiss
­culture, with a particular focus on Swiss literature, music and film
– Educating the audience, in particular by regularly broadcasting programmes with educational
content
– Offering entertainment programmes geared to the audience’s diverse needs
Diversity in radio
DRS 1, DRS 2, DRS 3,
DRS 4 News, DRS Musikwelle and DRS Virus
SSatR
La Première,
Swiss Satellite Radio:
­Espace 2, Couleur 3 ­Radio Swiss Pop,
and Option M
­ usique Radio Swiss Jazz and
­Radio Swiss Classic
4
Rete Uno,
Rete Due,
Rete Tre
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
5
Television
Programme hours by content type, 2004–2008 (excluding repeats)
Radio
Programme hours by content type, 2004–2008
7938
106,787
2004
19,354
16,794
6723
6199
14,470
2005
13,079
19,828
2071
1063
7713
107,410
2005
17,832
14,720
6439
8926
17,358
16,403
1835
993
2006
13,550
8353
107,312
2006
17,023
18,343
8160
7643
18,507
9812
1905
1006
2007
14,263
8549
105,827
2007
17,292
19,550
7401
7715
18,545
9320
1988
1105
2008
24,683
8823
105,782
2008
18,715
19,944
8733
9812
19,415
12,938
N
ews and current affairs
C
ulture, education and religion
S port
M
usic
Presenter-based
and other
SRG SSR’s radio programming covers the diverse viewpoints and needs of its audience. The
­genres and formats employed are as varied as the programme content itself. They include,
for example, news and current affairs, radio plays, interviews and music request programmes.
Diversity in television
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
1567
40,000
20,000
0
1599
News and current affairs
Culture, education and religion
Advertising
Sport
Drama and entertainment
Other
80,000
12,217
70,000
2004
In television, too, SRG SSR makes every effort to offer a diverse range of programming every day
with a variety of genres and formats that satisfy the many different expectations and opinions
of its audience. These include news, advice, talk, quiz and music shows as well as sitcoms, series
and films.
Even greater diversity thanks to the digital revolution
Channels’ websites: The digital revolution that has swept through the media industry has
changed consumers’ needs. In response to this change, SRG SSR’s radio and television companies offer websites that complement their programming with more in-depth content.
SF 1, SF zwei
and SF info
Broadcast on SF
TSR 1 and TSR 2
LA 1 and
LA 2
6
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
Podcasts and streams: Platforms for audio and video on demand enable the audience to access entire radio and television programmes or individual segments via the Internet, sometimes
as live streams, or else as delayed streams or podcasts. Some platforms even incorporate usergenerated content, for example the music platforms www.vxm.ch (The Swiss Folk Music Portal)
and www.mx3.ch (The Swiss Music Portal).
Teletext: Short reports on Teletext remain a very popular feature. The number of users has
­stabilised at a high level of 1.1 million a day.
Swissinfo: The website www.swissinfo.ch provides news about Switzerland in the form of text,
picture, audio and video articles in nine languages. Swissinfo presents topics specifically for an
international audience. It also supplies Swiss people living abroad with information on referenda
and elections.
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
7
QUALITY
The public service remit entails a
commitment to quality, which is why
SRG SSR’s strategic aim is to defend its market lead through quality,
­social relevance and diversity.
Quality writ large
The Concession imposes special requirements in terms of the quality of radio and television
­programming. SRG SSR’s programme output has to meet high quality and ethical standards.
The individual programme areas stand out thanks to their credibility, responsible attitude,
relevance and journalistic professionalism. The Federal Department of the Environment,
Transport, Energy and Communications also points out in its notes on the Concession that these
quality criteria must be applied in equal measure to the fields of news and current affairs,
­entertainment, education and culture. This legal framework forms the basis for SRG SSR’s
general quality standards and for its duty of accountability towards the legislature.
Quality assurance and control
General standards: The corporate principles and the national Programming Charter are binding
for all SRG SSR staff and for every single programme. The various enterprise units also observe
a number of other complimentary documents, including the Journalistic Guidelines as well as individual charters and manuals. These standards provide the foundation for producing first-class
journalistic work (see page 25 for the corporate principles; the national Programming Charter
can be found at www.srgssrideesuisse.ch/Public service/Mission/Programming Charter).
General aspects of quality management
Quality control
Quality
standards
and norms
Goaloriented
management
(broadcasting
mandate)
Audience
and
market
research
Public councils
(audience representation)
Programme quality
Education
and training
Internal monitoring
Resources
and processes
External supervision
(OFCOM)
Feedback
and
quality
control
8
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
9
ming on the market. The radio and television companies also offer websites to accompany their
programmes with more in-depth content.
Unique thanks to in-house productions: Self-produced news, current affairs and entertainment programmes help SRG SSR’s radio stations and television channels to stand out from their
foreign rivals with a unique offering.
Radio
Programme hours by production type, 2004–2008
2004
30,912
95,308
21,141
Public councils (audience representation): The public councils comprise representatives of
various sections of the population. They assess radio and television programmes in focus groups,
issue media releases aimed at the general public and make specific suggestions for improvements.
2005
29,947
95,657
21,421
2006
29,876
95,896
21,469
2007
30,664
97,883
18,486
External supervision: The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and
Communications (DETEC) is the official supervisory body as regards programme quality. It
­mandates other organisations, including universities, to monitor SRG SSR programmes from a
scientific viewpoint.
2008
Quality demands placed on staff and systems
10
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
Third-party productions
(first broadcast)
35,114
Repeats
36,363
2006
35,742
2008
28,619
33,858
30,635
35,464
In-house productions
37,389
45,000
2007
29,320
60,000
2005
30,970
30,000
2004
15,000
Quality in radio and television
As close to the audience as possible: SRG SSR offers radio and television programmes that
live up to international standards while maintaining a national focus and incorporating regional
aspects. In other words, it produces programmes that are tailored as closely as possible to its
­audience’s needs.
Ratings through quality: SRG SSR’s radio stations are market leaders in all four language
­regions. Its television channels, too, hold their own against the wide range of foreign program-
23,676
Television
Programme hours by production type, 2004–2008 (including repeats)
0
The enterprise units and programme-makers of SRG SSR have received many prizes and awards
in recent years for their journalism, editorial work, new programme concepts, technical advances
and studio design. One high-profile example was the performance of the opera La Traviata
at Zurich’s main railway station in September 2008, which received two international prizes.
40,000
In-house productions
(first broadcast)
SRG SSR invests in training for its staff with a view to ensuring solid, unbiased research and reporting. Outside the enterprise, meanwhile, it also plays a part in helping the next generation
of broadcasters by supporting the Swiss College of Journalism MAZ and the Centre Romand
de Formation des Journalistes with both financing and know-how in that experienced
SRG SSR staff pass on their knowledge in courses.
SRG SSR enjoys a good reputation in terms of innovation and adopting new technologies. The
most recent examples here are the introduction of digital radio with DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) and digital television with HDTV (High Definition Television).
100,649
20,000
0
35,210 23’676
160,000
Internal monitoring: The SRG SSR enterprise units use a variety of methods to ensure ongoing
quality control. These include programme monitoring, quality management checks and institutionalised feedback.
75,000
Training: SRG SSR’s corporate principles include a commitment to promoting creativity and
­professionalism among its staff, so it makes strategic investments in training. A broad selection
of courses are offered, ranging from video journalism and languages to leadership and social
skills. SRG SSR also works with external providers, one example being the Swiss College of Journalism MAZ, of which it is a patron.
Third-party productions
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
11
SRG SSR uses licence fee income exclusively to finance the programming it is obliged to
­produce under the public service remit.
Financial equalisation by language region
75
2,000,000
60
1,500,000
2,067,000
1,000,000
2,036,000
45
72
Financial equalisation makes it
­possible to provide programmes
of the same quality in the different
­regions. SRG SSR also promotes
­exchanges between the various language communities and cultures
and supports minorities.
SRG SSR distributes its licence fee and advertising income among its radio and television enterprise units in the four language regions in accordance with a fixed funding equation. Thanks
to this financial equalisation between the language regions, the enterprise units Radio Suisse
­Romande (RSR), Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR), Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (RSI)
and Radio e Televisiun Rumantscha (RTR) receive a greater share of the available funds.
70.4
SOLIDARITY
olidarity means financial equalisation for programmes
S
of the same quality
% of total population
% of income
% of allocated funds
113,000
105,000
645,000
644,000
Italian-speaking
Switzerland
French-speaking
Switzerland
0
German and
Romansch-speaking
Switzerland
Italian-speaking
Switzerland
4.4
21.9
32.2
French-speaking
Switzerland
German and
Romansch-speaking
Switzerland
0
12
500,000
4.2
23.6
15
25.4
45.9
30
Total radio licence
fee payers
Total television licence
fee payers
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
13
National programming
SRG SSR contributes to understanding between different linguistic and cultural communities
with programmes that span regional boundaries. A team of experts assesses projects that serve
the common needs of the radio and television companies as well as the SRG SSR mission. These
interregional projects cover the fields of news and current affairs, entertainment and culture. The
resulting productions shed light on Switzerland from a range of different angles. For example,
the series “SCIENCEsuisse”, shown in 2008 and 2009, comprised 25 short films about the
world of science and research. Similar series from previous years were “PHOTOsuisse”, “LiteraTour de Suisse” (A Literary Tour of Switzerland), “ArchitecTour de Suisse” (An Architectural
Tour of Switz­erland) and “Mysteriöse Schweiz” (Mysterious Switzerland). Sporting events and
entertainment programmes, too, are increasingly being broadcast nationwide.
Migration, integration and cultural diversity
The media play a key role in the integration of immigrants. SRG SSR therefore continually addresses the benefits of cultural diversity in its radio and television programmes. The European
Broadcasting Union (EBU) has also been dealing with this topic for a number of years and has
held various conferences on the subject. SRG SSR takes part in these debates and worked out the
principles for its first ever themed week on this basis. Under the heading “Wir anderen – nous
autres – noi altri – nus auters” (We Others), the subjects of immigration and integration
were put in the spotlight, analysed and discussed in the spring of 2008 throughout all four language regions and across all formats.
SRG SSR is also a cooperation partner of the following international organizations:
– CIVIS Media Foundation: The Foundation raises awareness of integration and cultural diversity issues among journalists in Germany and Europe and awards prizes to programmes that
deal with these issues to outstanding effect.
– BaKaFORUM: The Basel Karlsruhe Forum is a foundation that promotes reporting on education and development topics in the audiovisual media as well as exchange and coproductions
between television channels from the North and South.
Television without boundaries
Some people depend on special help to allow them to enjoy television programmes. These include
people with hearing difficulties or visual impairments as well as those without the language
skills needed to understand television programmes directly. SRG SSR offers various services to
make its programming accessible to these people:
– Subtitles: From 2010, subtitling will be provided for all prime-time programmes, i.e. those
broadcast between 7 and 10 p.m., as well as all live events between midday and midnight on all
SRG SSR channels. In addition, extensive coverage of live events on all channels will be ensured.
The plan is to increase the percentage of programmes with subtitles on an ongoing basis.
A third of all programmes are to be subtitled in each language region by the end of 2010.
14
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
– Sign language: SF, TSR and RSI have been providing a daily signed edition of the news programme “Tagesschau” since January 2008.
– Audio description: Audio description, a kind of running commentary for films, allows the
­visually impaired to follow the story. SRG SSR is broadcasting an increasing number of films
with audio description in each language region. It plans to have as many as 24 films per region
in 2010.
Humanitarian commitments
SRG SSR considers solidarity between majority and minority groups to be an important prerequisite for fulfilling its remit. This is why it also shows solidarity with regard to humanitarian projects.
Swiss Solidarity (Glückskette)
The Swiss Solidarity foundation, formed by SRG SSR, has been collecting donations for people
in difficulty since 1946. The foundation itself is not an active charity, so the actual aid work is
done by some 30 accredited Swiss charities. The foundation’s assets are subject to three financial
audits and among the best managed in Switzerland. In 2008, the foundation gave a total of
CHF 206.4 million to 270 projects in 51 countries. Its biggest fundraising campaign to date was
held at the start of 2005 for the victims of the Asian tsunami and raised CHF 227 million. Schwei­
zer Radio DRS broadcasts a five-minute update, “Glückskette aktuell”, every Sunday at 9.45 a.m.
on DRS 1.
“2 Weihnachten”
Towards the end of each year, SRG SSR carries out a charity fundraising campaign called “2 Weih­
nachten” (2 Christmas) in conjunction with the Swiss Red Cross and Swiss Post. It calls on
Swiss people to brighten up Christmas for disadvantaged people at home and abroad with a gift
package. By 2008, the campaign was in its twelfth year.
“Denk an mich”
“Denk an mich” (Think of me) is a foundation formed by SR DRS in 1968. It contributes CHF 2–3
million a year to allow over 10,000 handicapped people to enjoy holidays and leisure activities.
More than 50,000 individuals, clubs and companies in Switzerland have donated some CHF 60
million since the foundation was formed. A radio programme every Saturday morning provides
information on the foundation’s activities.
“mitenand”
The SF programme “mitenand” (together) provides brief reports every week on health, social
and environmental problems in Switzerland and the Third World. The reports tell the stories of
those affected and show how private aid organisations respond to these challenges. “mitenand”
has been under the patronage of SRG SSR since the start of 2005 and is also broadcast on TSR
as “ensemble” and on RSI as “insieme”.
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
15
VALUE FOR MONEY
Thanks to its financing model,
SRG SSR can produce its program­
mes independently and reliably.
The downside is that advertising
and sponsorship are restricted
by law, which prevents SRG SSR
from taking advantage of alternative income sources.
With more than 6,100 staff, SRG SSR is the largest broadcaster and the second-largest media enterprise in Switzerland. Its activities affect the Swiss economy at every level as it uses public and
private services, products and materials in large amounts at a number of locations. Moreover,
SRG SSR radio and television programmes offer an attractive national platform for sponsors and
advertisers.
Financing model
Swiss households that receive radio and/or television programmes must pay a licence fee.
This fee makes up most of SRG SSR’s annual income:
– Just over two thirds of income comes from licence fee payments.
– Just under a third comes from commercial and other revenues.
There are two sides to this financing model. While it ensures journalistic independence, it also
­results in restrictions on advertising and sponsorship. SRG SSR is not allowed to take advantage
of new online advertising and sponsorship platforms, which are posting double-digit growth and
replacing classic television advertising to some extent.
Licence fee trend
– The annual radio licence fee has risen by CHF 7.20 since 2000 to CHF 169.20 in 2009. This
equates to a nominal increase of 4.4% (the real change, taking inflation into account, is
–4.0%).
– The annual television licence fee has risen by CHF 22.80 since 2000 to CHF 292.80 in 2009.
This equates to a nominal increase of 8.4% (the real change, taking inflation into account, is 0%).
SRG SSR has not been able to profit from the increase in licence fees since 2000. This is
because the 2003 adjustment in particular brought an exemption from licence fees for people
receiving supplementary state pension and disability benefits, and the 2007 adjustment was primarily beneficial to private radio and television companies through fee splitting.
In spite of its tighter finances, SRG SSR has systematically exploited synergies and passed measures in 2005, 2007 and 2008 to save a total of CHF 115 million a year. Over the coming years
(2010 to 2014), further cost-saving measures should ease the annual cost burden by an average
of CHF 30 million.
International comparison
The licence fees are frequently the subject of public debate. Many commentators like to compare
the Swiss fees with those charged in other countries. Such comparisons show that more populous countries have lower fees because fixed staff and infrastructure costs can be spread between
more people or households there than is the case in countries with smaller populations. The
­following factors must be borne in mind when comparing countries to ensure a like-for-like comparison:
– the size of the population
– the number of language communities or the need to produce separate programmes
– the country’s topography
16
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
17
– the national wage level and inflation rate, which affect staff and distribution costs in particular
– the financing options via commercial revenues, as well as the size and structure of the advertising market and any restrictions on advertising
– direct contributions and subsidies received from the State in addition to income from licence
fees, as well as any further income sources
SRG SSR’s income is around CHF 1.6 billion a year. This money is used to produce a total of
18 radio stations and eight television channels in four language regions. It can thus
hold its own in any comparison with other public-service broadcasters, since its funding, while
generous by Swiss standards, appears relatively modest in an international context.
Total income, 2007 (EUR millions)
ARD
Denmark
Switzerland
(in four languages)
Norway
466.25
462.00
425.43
Austria
387.23
Germany
342.79
Sweden
335.08
Belgium
288.83
UK
Switzerland
(monolingual scenario)
France
284.98
6325
ZDF
277.00
184.09
Italy
168.22
500
400
300
2928
200
0
5983
100
1959
BBC
France
Télévisions
RAI
2966
VRT
Transparency and efficiency
459
RTBF
Licence fee income
C
ommercial income
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
946
1000
SRG SSR
0
993
2000
57
ORF
Other income
A central aspect of SRG SSR’s public service remit is equality between the language regions,
hence the “idée suisse” part of its full name. However, this comes at a price, since supplying
four language regions with programmes of the same quality has a direct impact on licence fees.
These would be almost 40% lower if SRG SSR were to produce its programmes in just one
­official language.
18
Licence fees for radio and television, 2008 (CHF)
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
On the one hand, rigorous internal controls apply to the use of licence fee income. On the other,
a duty of accountability applies vis-à-vis external bodies such as the Federal Council and the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC). SRG SSR’s
annual report not only discloses the financial figures for the past year, it also fulfils this duty of
accountability in a forward-looking way with a five-year plan that is approved by the supervisory
authorities.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) audited SRG SSR’s finances and efficiency and concluded
that it makes prudent and focused use of its licence fee income. The findings of the audit were
published in a detailed report in 2006.
Outlook
In view of the financial constraints in the current environment, there is no prospect of a further
expansion in SRG SSR’s radio and television offering. Instead, the current financial outlook makes
it more likely that cutbacks in programming and in-house products will have to be considered.
Savings are also to be made in sporting and cultural commitments. SRG SSR and its governing
bodies will be kept very busy over the next three to five years in addressing where, when and to
what extent cuts have to be made. Generally speaking, the question that has to be asked is
this: what will a comprehensive public service from SRG SSR be worth to the Swiss population
in future?
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
19
REACH
SRG SSR produces and broadcasts
­programmes and has a complex infrastructure in place to ensure that it
can fulfil its broadcasting remit at all
times.
Basic provision of radio and television
There are four ways to receive SRG SSR’s radio programmes and five ways to receive its
television programmes (see table below). This guarantees almost 100% coverage of households
in Switzerland.
Radio and television audiences alike appreciate the benefits that new technologies bring. SRG SSR
is thus pressing ahead with the modernisation of its radio and television operations and investing
in the digital future of both media, for example in high-definition television (HDTV and Dolby
Digital) and interference-free radio (Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB).
Radio
Terrestrial
Reception of SRG SSR programmes through a house, room or car aerial:
DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) – digital reception: for every station within
the respective language region as well as the first station for each of the
other language regions. Various digital station packages are also available,
depending on the language region. The aim is to upgrade from DAB to
DAB+ over the next few years. The advantage of this is that, using the same
infrastructure, almost twice as many stations can be broadcast from each
transmitter.
FM – analogue reception: for every station within the respective language
region as well as the first station for each of the other language regions.
MW – analogue reception: for Option Musique; this station, too, will only
be available via DAB with effect from 2011, when the Sottens transmitter
will be decommissioned.
www.broadcast.ch
20
Transmitters
2009
2008
2007
Total analogue and digital
1115
1145
1076
DAB
174
202
139
FM (analogue)
940
940
934
MW (analogue)
1
3
3
Cable
Reception of at least the SRG SSR stations within the respective language
r­ egion as well as the first station for each of the other language regions.
Satellite
Digital reception of all 18 SRG SSR stations via Hotbird 7a and 8 from Eutelsat.
Internet
Reception of all 18 stations via live streaming from the individual SRG SSR radio
companies.
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
21
Diverse forms of media use
Television
Terrestrial
– DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial), nationwide digital reception:
for both SRG SSR channels within the respective language region, the first
channel for each of the other language regions and the repeats channel SF info
in German-speaking Switzerland.
– DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting – Handhelds): for all eight SRG SSR channels
(SF 1, SF zwei, TSR 1, TSR 2, LA 1, LA 2, SF info and HD suisse).
Transmitters
Total analogue and digital
Analogue
Digital
2009
2008
2007
237
227
1297
0
0
1085
237
227
212
Cable
SF 1, SF zwei, TSR 1, TSR 2, LA 1, LA 2, SF info (in German-speaking Switzerland) and HD suisse.
Satellite
Reception of eight SRG SSR channels (SF 1, SF zwei, TSR 1, TSR 2, LA 1, LA 2,
SF info and HD suisse) via Hotbird 8 from Eutelsat. This form of reception is becoming increasingly popular. Since television channels have to be broadcast
via satellite in encrypted form for licensing and copyright reasons, a SatAccess
card is needed to receive the SRG SSR television channels.
Internet
A number of programmes can be viewed on demand as streams on the websites
of the individual SRG SSR television channels. Various providers such as Wilmaa
and Zattoo bring SRG SSR to viewers’ computer screens using software players.
IPTV
Internet Protocol Television: the television signal is sent using Internet Protocol
(IP) technology. At the moment, this is restricted to Swisscom TV, which includes
all SRG SSR channels. Various digital channel packages are also available, depending on the language region.
The digital revolution is changing media consumers’ habits and needs in Switzerland, just like
everywhere else:
– Multimedia Internet content is better placed to serve special interests than conventional,
linear broadcasting.
– Multifunctional devices such as computers and mobile telephones are a marketplace for audio,
video and text content that can be accessed anywhere, any time – especially for young
­people.
– L inear radio consumption is steadily declining among younger listeners. That said, the
SRG SSR radio stations are faring better than their rivals as they are gaining new listeners
through podcasts, radio on demand and Internet radio.
– The Internet is also becoming more and more indispensible when it comes to meeting the
­television audience’s needs. It allows people to tailor their own viewing and frees them
from the constraints of fixed programme schedules.
Usage of SRG SSR websites grew by more than 15% in 2008. There was an especially
sharp increase in the use of radio and television on demand. It is also significant that the average age of people visiting SRG SSR websites is 37 – much lower than that of the overall
­radio and television audience. SRG SSR is thus responding to changing media consumption habits
and reaching out to the new media generation ever more effectively. In short, SRG SSR’s multimedia offering is a response to the changes triggered in its audience’s behaviour by the constant
stream of new technologies.
Daily trend in media use (reach in %, Monday to Friday)
100
80
Basic provision in crisis situations
Its structure as a national enterprise ensures that SRG SSR can keep the public informed even
­under exceptional circumstances. The authorities can issue an alarm using the Icaro information
system when the population at large needs to be given specific instructions. In serious crises,
SRG SSR is the Federal Council’s official information medium. Service agreements ensure that the
Federal Council can address the population at any time. To this end, SRG SSR has an emergency
broadcast network. If it is no longer in a position to produce and broadcast its regular programmes, its journalists and technicians will produce emergency radio programmes in three
languages under the direct responsibility of the federal government.
22
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
60
40
20
0
5.00 am
12.00 pm
23.30 pm
Total television
Total reading
Total at home
Total radio
Total Internet
Total away from home
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
23
DID YOU KNOW …?
F
Swiss music sets SRG SSR’s
radio programming apart.
How has its share developed?
B
SRG SSR is committed
to humanitarian projects.
This is reflected in …
G
SRG SSR promotes the
Swiss film industry.
From 1998 to 2008, under the
“Pacte de l’audiovisuel” …
E
A
In-house television
productions make
SRG SSR’s programming
unique. What percentage
do they make up?
C
With an annual income
of CHF 1.6 billion, SRG SSR
­produces a total of …
Education is also important
to SRG SSR beyond its radio
and television programming.
That is why it supports
organisations such as …
H
I
D
Terrestrial transmitters
are essential for broadcasting
radio and television signals.
How many?
Entertainment is part of
SRG SSR’s remit. The share
of entertainment programmes
on its television channels
in 2008 was …
Broadcasting the
Olympic Games entails rights
costs for the European
­Broadcasting Union (EBU).
How much?
the answers
F
In 1992, SRG SSR radio
channels played 4,000 hours of
Swiss music. In 2008, this figure
had risen to 10,500 hours.
> Culture, pages 36–39
B
… its support of the Swiss
S­ olidarity foundation and the
“2 Weihnachten” campaign,
as well as programmes such as
“Denk an mich” and “mitenand”.
> Solidarity, pages 12–15
A
In 2008, 49% of
programmes were produced
in-house, while
51% were bought in.
> Quality, pages 8–11
G
E
C
… 18 radio stations and
8 television channels for 3 to 4
language communities. By way
of comparison, ZDF has an
­annual income of more than
CHF 3 billion but produces
­programmes for just one
­language group.
H
I
… 27%, while the key area
of news and current affairs
also accounted for 27%.
SRG SSR operates a total
of 1,115 analogue and digital
transmitters for radio and
237 digital transmitters for
­television (2009 figures).
> Culture, pages 34–37
> Education, pages 30–33
> Value for money, pages 16–19
D
… it invested CHF 220 million
in promoting film-making.
… the Media Factory at the
Swiss Museum of Transport, the
Museum for Communication,
the Stapferhaus Lenzburg, the
Memoriav association, the Swiss
National Sound Archives, the
Swiss College of Journalism MAZ
and the Centre Romand de Formation des Journalistes (CRFJ).
In 2008, the EBU paid
CHF 665 million for the summer
games in Beijing. It will pay
CHF 208 million for the winter
games in Vancouver in 2010.
> Sport, pages 38–41
> Entertainment, pages 42–45
> Reach, pages 20–23
24
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
25
SRG SSR AT A GLANCE
THE SRG SSR CORPORATE PRINCIPLES
The enterprise
– SRG SSR is the largest electronic media enterprise in Switzerland.
– It owns 18 radio stations and 8 television channels as well as related websites and
Teletext services in four language regions.
– It employs more than 6,100 people (roughly 4,800 full-time equivalents).
– It generates annual income of around CHF 1.6 billion.
Mission
We inform, entertain and contribute to education and cultural development. We promote demographic opinion forming and public information and preserve cultural identity. We broadcast
programmes of comparable quality on the same terms within the four language regions. By
taking into account the demands of majorities and minorities, we promote mutual understanding and solidarity.
The remit
– SRG SSR is a media enterprise under private law and thus enjoys political and economic
­independence.
– It is bound by a public service remit based on the Swiss Federal Constitution, the Radio
and Television Act and the Concession.
– A s a non-profit corporation, it takes around 70% of its funding from licence fees and
around 30% from commercial revenues.
Vision
Our audiovisual public service offering reflects and is part of reality in Switzerland. Our programmes are distinctive and are competitive on an international level. We are quick to identify
changes in user behaviour and are open to technical innovation. Our services set quality standards and make an essential contribution to Switzerland’s social cohesion.
The strategy
SRG SSR aims to fulfil its public service remit with a wide range of programmes going forward
in spite of fierce competition and limited financing. Its strategic objectives can be summarised
as follows:
– SRG SSR aims to provide a public service over the long term and firmly embed this in people’s
minds as its overall purpose.
– It intends to be credible and independent as far as its finances are concerned.
– It strives to appeal to its audience and retain its market lead through quality, relevance
and diversity.
– It wants its organisation and processes to be systematically geared to its output with
a view to convergence.
– It will endeavour to continue developing its common leadership philosophy and empower
its staff to keep pace with the changes that are underway.
Principles
Credibility: We provide information with an emphasis on facts and transparency, while also offering a platform for different opinions. We demand and encourage a high level of professionalism from our journalists and programme-makers. We take responsibility for the accuracy and
credibility of our programmes.
Independence: We select and create content independently and are not influenced by political
and economic pressure groups. Our public mandate and the licence fees we receive place a particular responsibility on us and require us to provide services of the highest quality. We are open
to criticism and transparent towards the public, and we undergo internal and external reviews.
Diversity: When it comes to creating programmes, we orientate ourselves towards the varied
needs of the majorities and minorities in multilingual and multicultural Switzerland. Diversity
shapes our formats, content and viewpoint. We address international events and their impact
on the role and importance of Switzerland.
Creativity: Creativity is both essential to and the driving force behind our success. We are open
to changes that are necessary on the technical, social and economic fronts. We promote and
­insist on imagination and creativity in order to survive in the face of increasing international media competition.
Fairness: Respect for people is a basic requirement in our programme-making. Others are treated with dignity and consideration in our media activities. Business and social partners can depend on us. We offer our employees modern working conditions and count on their loyalty and
sense of responsibility towards the concept of public service.
NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
With its radio, television and online offerings, SRG SSR is a public service media provider. Its
­independence allows it to provide up-to-date, balanced and fair information in a form that is
unique in Switzerland.
Programming Charter
SRG SSR’s news and current affairs
programmes provide an objective and
unmistakably Swiss view of events
at home and abroad. This is crucial
to Switzerland’s political culture.
The Programming Charter sets out the principles that govern SRG SSR’s radio and television programmes. It states that the programmes must be of outstanding quality in terms of both content and form. The Programming Charter requires that programme-makers abide by ethical
and professional standards and take the needs of the audience into account. It emphasizes
the independence of SRG SSR and its responsibility to society as a whole. The Charter demands
that all of those involved in programme-making strive to get as close as possible to the truth and
that in doing so they remain incorruptible. It also underlines SRG SSR’s role as an opinion former
and sets out the conditions which must be met for this function to be performed effectively.
Journalistic Guidelines
At enterprise unit level, journalistic and editorial guidelines stipulate how conflicts of interest,
complacent journalism and the influence of public relations are to be avoided. They are intended
to ensure credible, objective and pluralistic reporting. These criteria also constitute a professional and ethical code of conduct to which SRG SSR staff must adhere. The Journalistic
Guidelines largely correspond to the Swiss Press Council’s Declaration of the Duties and Rights of
Journalists.
Remit and corporate principles
Programming Charter
Journalistic Guidelines
More information on the remit and the corporate principles can be found on pages 24 and 25.
Information on the Programming Charter and the Journalistic Guidelines can be found at
www.srgssrideesuisse.ch under “Public service”.
26
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
27
General duty to inform
Increased news and current affairs offering
In radio, the duty to inform is met with hourly headline news and regional news as well as sport
and weather. Other programmes such as “Echo der Zeit” (Echo of the Times), “Doppelpunkt”
(Colon), “Input” and “Info 3” provide more in-depth analysis of current affairs.
Channels’ websites: The digital revolution that has swept through the media industry has
changed consumers’ needs. In response to this change, SRG SSR’s radio and television companies offer websites that complement their programming with more in-depth content.
A study commissioned by OFCOM and carried out by the University of Geneva in 2008
­attested to the high value of SRG SSR radio programmes as a source of information: “The first
stations in the three language regions have a spoken word content between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
ranging from 57% (DRS 1) to 82% (La Première). News and current affairs play a major role,
­accounting for around two thirds of airtime for La Première and around one third for Rete Uno
and DRS 1, with much of this coming outside regular news broadcasts.” (The full text (“Publicom –
Findings of SRG Radio Programme Analysis”) is available at www.bakom.admin.ch in German,
French and Italian.)
Podcasts and streams: Platforms for audio on demand and video on demand enable the audience to access entire radio and television programmes or individual segments via the Internet,
sometimes as live streams, or else as delayed streams or podcasts.
The enterprise units increased their radio reporting as follows between 2004 and 2008: news
and current affairs +102%, sport +50%, culture +11%. Meanwhile, the share of presenter-based
and music programming remained almost constant. The marked change in news and current
­affairs can be attributed in particular to the news station DRS 4 News, which was launched in
December 2007 as a 24-hour spoken-word station (see table on page 6 under Diversity).
SRG SSR also meets its duty to inform with television programmes such as “Tagesschau”
­(Daily News) and “10vor10” (10to10), which focus on both national and international news, as
well as programmes such as “Schweiz aktuell” (Switzerland Latest) that report on regional events.
Formats offering more in-depth analysis and discussion include “Rundschau” (Roundup),
“Club”, the consumer show “Kassensturz” and “Arena”.
A Univox study in 2007 confirmed the importance of SRG SSR television programmes as
­information media: “In terms of news-oriented media use, 57% use SRG television and 52% the
daily newspapers … as their primary or secondary information source. ... The private Swiss
­television channels only play a minor role as regards both news and entertainment.” (The full
text (“UNIVOX Media and Communication”) is available at www.gfs-zh.ch in German only.)
The enterprise units increased their television reporting as follows between 2004 and 2008:
news and current affairs +19%, sport +30%, culture, education and religion +58%, drama and
entertainment +34%. Over the same period, advertising fell by 24% and other programming
by 35%, in particular due to the fact that Textvision was discontinued (see table on page 7 under
Diversity).
28
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
Teletext: Short reports on Teletext remain a very popular feature. The number of users has
­stabilised at a high level of 1.1 million a day.
Swissinfo: The website www.swissinfo.ch provides news about Switzerland in the form of text,
picture, audio and video articles in nine languages. It prioritises news from the fields of politics,
business, culture, science, education and sport. Swissinfo presents topics specifically for an
­international audience. It also supplies Swiss people living abroad with information on referenda
and elections.
Duty to provide information on politics
Parliamentary reporting is a firm fixture of SRG SSR’s radio and television programming, providing information on federal and cantonal votes and thus promoting the formation of political
opinions. In addition, all joint votes by both chambers of parliament and Federal Council elections are broadcast live with comment from expert pundits.
To ensure continuous, direct reporting on the Federal Council and parliament, SRG SSR has set
up the Federal Parliament Production Centre – comprising a television studio and several radio
studios – inside the federal government’s media hub.
Information in crisis situations
In serious crises, SRG SSR is the Federal Council’s official information medium. Service agreements with the Swiss News Agency and SRG SSR ensure that the Federal Council can address the
population at any time.
The authorities can issue an alarm using the Icaro (Information Catastrophe Alarm Radio Organisation) system when the population at large needs to be given specific instructions. In such cases, radio plays a key role as the fastest medium in that SRG SSR interrupts its radio programmes
for important announcements whenever a general alarm is issued.
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
29
EDUCATION
Education and knowledge are crucial success factors. They have a direct impact on research
and development, on jobs and the economy and on people’s social behaviour and leisure time.
That is why the duty to educate is a cornerstone of SRG SSR’s public service remit.
Legal basis
SRG SSR contributes to education
and knowledge transfer with a
broad range of radio and television
programmes. It does so beyond the
scope of its programming as well,
by supporting museums, exhibitions
and events.
Article 93 of the Swiss Federal Constitution states that radio and television must contribute to
cultural development, to the unrestricted formation of opinion and to entertainment.
Article 24 of the Radio and Television Act and the Concession both stipulate that SRG SSR is to
help educate its audience, in particular by regularly broadcasting programmes with educational
content.
Duty to aid formation of political opinions
A functioning democracy needs well informed citizens. SRG SSR’s news and current affairs programmes are significant in this regard because they offer the audience an unmistakably Swiss
view of events at home and abroad. The consistency with which SRG SSR focuses on the
leading issues also helps to guide its audience.
SRG SSR’s tasks include informing people about federal votes and encouraging voters to form
their own opinions. Parliamentary reporting is thus a firm fixture of its radio and television
programming. SRG SSR also broadcasts every vote by both chambers of parliament and every
Federal Council election live with comment from expert pundits. To ensure continuous, direct
­reporting on the Federal Council and parliament, it has set up the Federal Parliament Production
Centre – comprising a television studio and several radio studios – inside the federal government’s
media hub.
Knowledge and education fostered by radio and television
While most SRG SSR radio and television programmes are not produced primarily for educational
purposes, many do impart information on topics as diverse as consumer protection, health,
­natural history, travel, culture and business. SRG SSR offers high-quality radio and television programmes every day with educational content and provides useful advice to the various age
groups.
–R
adio: Informative SR DRS programmes include “Wissenschaft DRS 2” (DRS 2 Science),
­“Kontext”, “Perspektiven”, “Echo der Zeit”, “Doppelpunkt”, “Espresso” and “Ratgeber” (The
Guide). Educational programmes include “DRS Pirando”. Similar offerings on RSR are “Atlas”,
“Impatience”, “La Science de Pain” (The Science of Bread), “On en parle” (People are talking
about it), “Histoire Vivante” (Living History), “Médialogues” (Mediologists) and the children’s
programme “Les Zèbres”. RSI has “Dentro le cose” (Inside) and “Natura sott’occhio” (Nature
close up), while Radio Rumantsch has “Forum”, “Marella” and “Tavulin litterar” (Literary round
table).
30
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
31
– Television: SF programmes with educational content include “DOK”, “Horizonte”, “Einstein”,
“NETZ NATUR”, “kulturplatz” (culture space), “Puls”, “Kassensturz”, “Rundschau” and “SF
Wissen mySchool” (SF Knowledge mySchool); TSR has programmes such as “A Bon Entendeur”
(A Word to the Wise), “36,9°”, “Geopolitis” “Histoire des savoirs” (History of knowledge),
“Tard pour bar” (Late bar), “Le Passager” (The Passenger), “Passe-moi les jumelles” (Pass the
binoculars), “TTC” and “Les docs”; RSI has “Il giardino di Albert” (Albert’s garden) and “Il filo
della storia” (The thread of the story), and RTR has “Cuntrasts” (Contrasts).
These platforms are of interest to all, not just teachers and students, and they contain numerous
articles and dossiers on a wide range of topics, including health, the environment, energy,
research, business, politics, religion and sport.
– Interactive content: Many of the radio and television programmes mentioned above incorporate elements of audience participation, with members of the audience invited to pose questions directly. Telephone hotlines and specially created Internet forums allow interested viewers
and listeners to have their individual questions answered either during or after the programme
by various experts, for example a team of doctors for the SF programme “Puls” and subject
specialists for the RSR radio programme “On en parle”.
– F ondation du Centre Romand de Formation des Journalistes: SRG SSR is a founding
member of Centre Romand de Formation des Journalistes, a journalism college in Lausanne
(www.crfj.ch).
–M
AZ – the Swiss College of Journalism: SRG SSR is represented on the MAZ Board of Trustees
(www.maz.ch).
–M
edia Factory at the Swiss Museum of Transport: The Media Factory at the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is a media and knowledge workshop. Young and old alike can
get a taste of the studio atmosphere and try their hand at producing, presenting and publishing
their own news articles (www.verkehrshaus.ch).
–M
emoriav: Memoriav is an association that aims to preserve Switzerland’s audiovisual
­heritage (www.memoriav.ch).
–M
useum for Communication: The Museum for Communication’s collections make it a
­catalyst for studying the past, present and future of communication (www.mfk.ch).
–P
acte Multimédia: The Pacte Multimédia (Multimedia Pact) comprises two elements. The first
is the Multimedia Prize to promote drama projects with outstanding interactive and multimedia
aspects. The second is www.pactemultimedia.ch, which is available in four languages and provides a platform for SRG SSR’s radio, television and multimedia productions.
–S
wiss National Sound Archives: The purpose of these archives is to collect, preserve and
make available audio media with content relating to Swiss history and culture (www.fonoteca.ch).
–S
SAB – the Swiss Foundation for Audiovisual Teaching Media: SSAB sees itself as a network.
Both SF and SR DRS have been members for many years (www.ssab-online.ch).
–S
tapferhaus Lenzburg: The Stapferhaus holds exhibitions and provides cultural exchange,
­socio-cultural and culture management services (www.stapferhaus.ch).
– Studio tours: The SRG SSR enterprise units organise regular educational tours of their radio
and television studios for schools and other interest groups.
Knowledge and education through the Internet
SRG SSR is increasingly making its broad knowledge accessible to the public via the Internet,
which is massively increasing its contribution to education. The latest radio and television programmes form the basis for this offering and are available on demand over the Internet as podcasts and streams. With a view to being even closer to its audience, SRG SSR also publishes
­selected content on third-party platforms such as YouTube. SRG SSR’s Internet content notched
up a total of more than 150 million visits and around 700 million page views in 2008.
SRG SSR knowledge platforms
Enterprise unit
Website
Schweizer Radio DRS
www.wissen.drs.ch
Schweizer Fernsehen
www.wissen.sf.tv
www.myschool.sf.tv
Radio Suisse Romande
www.wikiforum.ch
www.savoirs.rsr.ch
Télévision Suisse Romande
www.tsrdecouverte.ch
SRG SSR (Timeline – the audiovisual
­archive of Switzerland since 1931)
www.ideesuisse.ch/timeline
32
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
Promoting education outside radio and television
In the interests of promoting education, SRG SSR cooperates with other organisations and
has been involved in some media partnerships for many years:
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
33
CULTURE
SRG SSR sees culture as integral to
its radio and television programming and also contributes to Swiss
cultural life through subsidies and
event partnerships.
The Concession states that SRG SSR’s radio and television programmes and other media offerings should contribute to cultural development and strengthening Switzerland’s cultural heritage,
with a particular focus on Swiss literature, music and film. For SRG SSR, however, culture is
more than just a duty imposed on it – it plays a proactive role in cultural events across a broad
front extending way beyond the scope of its radio and television programming.
Culture in radio and television
SRG SSR brings culture to its audience on a daily basis through its 18 radio stations and eight
­television channels. In radio, the second stations in particular – DRS 2 in German-speaking
Switz­erland, Espace 2 in French-speaking Switzerland and Rete Due in Italian-speaking Switzerland – give special attention to cultural reporting with background programmes on music, film
and literature.
The share of cultural programme content on the radio was around 6% in 2008, although it must
be borne in mind that actual music broadcasts are not included in this figure. By way of comparison, news and current affairs is the most important subject area, having accounted for around
16% of radio airtime in 2008 (see table on page 6 under Diversity).
SRG SSR also devotes a respectable share of airtime to culture in television with special programmes that are firm fixtures in its weekly schedules. Special mention must be reserved here
for unique television productions such as La Traviata at Zurich’s main railway station in September
2008 and La Bohème amid apartment blocks in Berne in September 2009 – both of which
turned culture into must-see television. The national television series “PHOTOsuisse”, “LiteraTour
de Suisse” and “ArchitecTour de Suisse”, meanwhile, showed culture from a variety of different
angles on SRG SSR channels.
The share of cultural programme content on television in 2008 was just under 14%. By way of
comparison, news and current affairs is the most important subject area, accounting for around
28% of television airtime in 2008 (see table on page 7 under Diversity).
Pure music radio
Most of SRG SSR’s radio stations feature a mix of spoken word and music. DRS 4 News, in fact,
is a 24-hour spoken-word station. At the same time, however, SRG SSR also provides pure
music radio stations and music platforms, which serve in part to promote and raise the profile of
Swiss music:
– Swiss Satellite Radio 2008:
– Radio Swiss Classic: 112,000 listeners a day
– Radio Swiss Jazz: 64,000 listeners a day
– Radio Swiss Pop: 170,000 listeners a day
34
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
35
– w ww.mx3.ch: The Swiss Music Portal is a joint platform of DRS 3, DRS Virus, Couleur 3,
Rete Tre and Radio Rumantsch. It allows musicians to present their work to the general public,
and some is chosen to be broadcast on the aforementioned radio stations. In autumn 2009,
music from around 12,200 bands was available on the platform, with an average of 100,000
people visiting every month.
­ artners set guideline figures annually for the presence of Swiss music in programming. In recent
p
years, SRG SSR has not only met these yardsticks but in fact exceeded most of them.
Share of Swiss music on the radio in 2008 (% of airtime)
Radio stations
– w ww.vxm.ch: The Swiss Folk Music Portal, a joint venture of DRS Musikwelle, La Première,
Rete Uno and Radio Rumantsch, is a platform that brings together musicians, experts, fans,
promoters and clubs in the world of folk music. In autumn 2009, music from over 630 groups
was available on the platform.
Film promotion
Film is an excellent means of conveying cultural and linguistic diversity, which is why promoting
film is a cornerstone of SRG SSR’s cultural activities. It created the Pacte de l’audiovisuel in 1996
together with partners from the film industry. From 1998 to 2008, it invested almost CHF 220
million in promoting film under the pact. The 2009 figure was CHF 21.3 million, CHF 1.5 million
more than in 2008. Some CHF 21.8 million is to be invested in the pact in 2010, CHF 22.3 million
in 2011. Over 1000 cinema, television, documentary, short and animated films have been released in the past decade thanks to the pact. Over the last three years, the SRG SSR television
companies have coproduced the following cinema, television, documentary, short and animated
films:
Company
2008
2007
2006
Schweizer Fernsehen
65
67
68
Télévision Suisse Romande
66
63
62
Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana
30
33
33
Televisiun Rumantscha
6
4
3
SRG SSR supports the following key Swiss film festivals in various genres through its media partnerships:
– Solothurn Film Festival (January) – Locarno International Film Festival (August)
– Swiss Film Prize (March) – Cinéma Tous Écrans, Geneva (September)
– Visions du Réel, Nyon (April)
– Short Film Festival Winterthur (November)
Music promotion
Music is to radio what film is to television. As with film, SRG SSR set down its collaboration with
representatives of the music industry in 2004 in the Swiss Music Charter, which has the aim of
promoting the image of Swiss music as well as the country’s talented musicians. Under the
Charter, SRG SSR is committed to including a fair share of Swiss music productions in its radio
programmes. Swiss music is defined as recorded or live music featuring Swiss composers, performers or producers as well as recordings with a significant Swiss involvement. SRG SSR’s
36
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
Guideline
Share
Radio stations
Guideline
Share
SR DRS 1
16
17.3
Rete Uno
8
10.2
SR DRS 2
20
18.9
Rete Due
15
15.6
SR DRS 3
17
17.7
Rete Tre
8
6.9
SR DRS Virus
17
15.6
Radio Rumantsch
45
52.9
SR DRS Musikwelle
43
39.8
Swiss Pop
25
25.9
RSR La Première
15
13.4
Swiss Jazz
30
31.7
RSR Espace 2
20
21.1
Swiss Classic
22
25.3
RSR Couleur 3
18
21.4
RSR Option Musique
10
11
Every two years, the Label Suisse music festival takes place in Lausanne under the aegis of Radio
Suisse Romande (RSR). The festival, first held in 2004, serves to promote Swiss music. RSR has
also organised the biennial Schubertiade since 1980, a major classical music festival held at different locations in French-speaking Switzerland.
SRG SSR additionally promotes pop, rock, jazz and classical music with concerts and events.
There were more than 50 music-oriented media partnerships for this purpose in 2009, including
Rock’n’Roll & Edelweiss, the Swiss Music Award, Zoogä-n-am Boogä, Cully Jazz, Musikanten­
stadl, the Festa da chant districtuala (Regional Song Festival), the Montreux Jazz Festival, the
Menuhin Festival Gstaad, Open Air Lumnezia, Alpentöne and the AVO Session Basel as well as
musicals such as Mamma Mia, Moulin Rouge and West Side Story.
Literature promotion
Radio and television: SRG SSR regularly promotes literature in its radio and television programming, for example with programmes such as “Buchzeichen” (Bookmark) and “Hörbar” (Audible)
on DRS 1, “Literaturclub” on SF, “Entre les lignes” (Between the lines) on Espace 2, “Furbo chi
legge” (Clever people read) on Rete Uno and “Preziosa litterara” (Precious literature) on Radio
Rumantsch. Programmes like these, together with radio plays and readings, encourage people to
read and also have a positive effect on Swiss book sales.
Solothurn Literary Days: As part of a media partnership, SRG SSR has supported the Solothurn Literary Days – the most important forum for Swiss literature – since autumn 2007.
Salon du livre: TSR awarded the fourth Prix TSR literature Ados – the only prize for Swiss
literature aimed primarily at the 14 –16 age group – at the 2008 Salon du livre book fair
(www.liredelire.ch).
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
37
Sport
Sport forms a key part of SRG SSR’s public service remit. Radio and television alike focus on Swiss
sportspeople with national and international profiles and offer their audience a wide range of
sports tailored to Swiss tastes with highlights from Switzerland and abroad. Sport is pure
­excitement, allowing those watching it to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and experience
emotional moments.
Sport has always gripped spectators
with its excitement and emotional
resonance. It brings people together
across linguistic and cultural
boundaries. That is why SRG SSR
maintains a broad involvement in
sport.
Schweizer Fernsehen
www.sport.sf.tv
Schweizer Radio DRS
www.drs.ch (news/sport)
Télévision Suisse Romande
www.tsrsport.ch
Radio Suisse Romande
www.rsr.ch
Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana
www.sport.rsi.ch
Radio e Televisiun Rumantscha
www.rtr.ch (sport)
Swissinfo
www.swissinfo.ch (sport)
38
Varied sport reporting
SRG SSR regularly covers more than 60 different sports in its radio and television programming.
Its sport strategy is aimed at offering attractive and competitive sport coverage that appeals
to a large audience. To this end, SRG SSR employs the following three-pillar model:
Show Swiss
sportspeople
Report on sporting events
in Switzerland
Broadcast top
international events
These include such sporting
stars as Simone Niggli, Roger
Federer, Nicola Spirig, Lara
Gut, Simon Ammann, Tom
Lüthi, Mark Streit and Fabian
Cancellara as well as their
respective disciplines such as
skiing, riding and tennis.
These include such events
as ski racing in Adelboden
and Wengen, athletics at the
Weltklasse Zurich and Athletissima Lausanne, cycling on the
Tour de Suisse and Tour de
Romandie, horse riding at the
CSIO Switzerland, ice hockey
at the Spengler Cup, football
and ice hockey championships,
European Masters golf in
Crans-Montana, the Ruderwelt Luzern regatta, beach
volleyball in Gstaad, the Swiss
Wrestling and Alpine Sports
Festival, the Gymnastics Festival and the Shooting Festival.
These include such highlights
of the world sporting calendar
as the Olympic Games, the
FIFA World Cup and UEFA
European Championships and
Champions League in football,
Formula 1, the FIS World
Cup in skiing, the Tour de
France, the European Athletics
Championships and World
Championships in Athletics
and the Grand Slam tournaments in tennis.
In short, sport coverage on radio and television is intended to show the whole of the sporting
world from a Swiss perspective.
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
39
Business Unit Sport
Business Unit Sport (BUS) is responsible for implementing the sport strategy in SRG SSR sport
programmes. On the one hand, BUS is responsible for acquiring sport rights and producing
national sporting events. On the other, it organises and coordinates major international
projects for the SRG SSR radio and television companies such as the Olympic Games as well as
various European and world championships. It also manages the national sport budgets.
Trend in European Broadcasting Union (EBU) rights costs for the Olympic Games,
1980–2012
800
700
600
Total costs for major SRG SSR projects,
1998 to 2010 (rights and production)
500
2008
2009
2006
2007
2004
2005
2002
2003
2000
2001
1998
1999
CHF millions
Explanation of chart: The Olympic Games as well as the football World Cup and European
Championships take place in even years, whereas the main events in the odd years are the
FIS Alpine and Cross-Country World Cups.
The rising budget demands of SRG SSR’s sport reporting are reflected in particular in the increasing degree of commercialisation and rights marketing in sport. The European Union
is increasingly treating major sporting events as commercial enterprises when it comes to competition and media issues. As a result, the relevant contracts are being influenced ever more frequently by the provisions of antitrust and media legislation. Those responsible for marketing
sporting events are also guaranteeing sponsors more and more exclusive rights across all conceiv­
able platforms. The commercial interests of rights marketing for major sporting events such as
the Olympic Games and the football World Cup and European Championships in particular has
led to a massive rise in the cost of broadcast rights and production in recent years.
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
Winter
688
2012
2010
208
202.5
2006
2004
180.0
2002
2000
1998
1996
1994
1992
1988
1984
1980
1976
1972
1968
1964
CHF millions
41.1
9.5
36.6
8.3
11.2
29.6
25.5
15.8
21.7
7.0
17.2
6.0
0
0
40
108.0
100
20
10
355.5
200
30
591.0
525.0
300
40
665.04
400
2008
50
Summer
Sporting challenges
Diversity in sport: The importance of telegenic sports is growing steadily. “Premium” sports
like Formula 1 and football, together with “premium” events like the Olympic Games, the FIFA
World Cup and the UEFA European Championship and Champions League competitions, are set
to build further on their dominance of the marketplace. Against the backdrop of this globalised
sport market, the importance of traditional sports like athletics, cycling, equestrianism, rowing,
gymnastics and swimming is waning around the world. SRG SSR’s sport strategy is intended to
counteract this trend for the Swiss market with a view to offering the audience a broad choice
of sport broadcasting and thus bolstering the diversity of Swiss events of both national and
­international interest.
Transparency with regard to abuse and cheating: SRG SSR’s sport journalists maintain the
requisite distance from events and sportspeople. They provide transparent, critical, objective
and unbiased reporting, even on negative developments in the world of sport, including
­hooliganism, cheating, bribery and doping. With this in mind, SRG SSR is also represented on the
Board of Trustees of Antidoping Switzerland (www.antidoping.ch).
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
41
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment is part of SRG SSR’s
programming remit. Its offering is
as varied as its audience’s tastes.
Music, comedy and talk shows are the best examples. Entertainment reflects cultural values
and forms part of the nation’s cultural identity. What could have more lasting worth than a programme that entertains while at the same giving food for thought, fostering dialogue and
­perhaps even sparking social policy debate in other formats and media? This shows that there
are no absolute dividing lines between information, education and entertainment.
Something for everyone
Like news and current affairs, sport, culture and education, entertainment is part of SRG SSR’s
public service remit, which is also set out in the Concession (see page 5 under Diversity). The
range of programmes offered has to be geared to the audience’s diverse needs, covering a broad
spectrum of genres, formats and content. In radio, these include plays, quizzes and request
programmes. In television, meanwhile, there are quiz, chat and music shows as well as sitcoms, series, films and animation.
Television research shows that prime-time entertainment and quiz shows attract the biggest
­audiences, as a result of which they have a lot of appeal for advertisers, which in turn means that
they can indirectly finance political, cultural and philosophical programmes with smaller
audiences. Solidarity on all sides is thus essential in ensuring that some can enjoy sitcoms and
others literary programmes (see page 13 under Solidarity). In short, SRG SSR’s entertainment
output includes not only programmes that command the highest possible market share, but also
minority offerings.
Ensuring unique output
Self-produced news, current affairs and entertainment programmes help SRG SSR’s television
channels to stand out from their foreign rivals with a unique offering. This is one of the main
­reasons for broadcasting in-house productions in prime-time slots. On Schweizer Fernsehen,
these include “Benissimo”, “Giacobbo/Müller”, “Total Birgit”, “Aeschbacher” and “Happy Day”;
examples on Télévision Suisse Romande are “Temps Présent” (Present Tense), “À Bon Entendeur”
(A Word to the Wise), “Mise au Point” (Update) and “Les Coups de Cœur” (Heartbeats); Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana has programmes such as “Attenti a quei due” (The Persuaders) and “Cash” (see page 11 under Quality).
The enterprise units and their programming managers are responsible for the programme schedules in the various language regions as well as for programme concepts and content. In this respect, they observe a number of fundamental principles, the most important being respect for
the audience and for everyone involved in making each programme.
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SRG SSR idée suisse public service
43
Television programme hours by content
SRG SSR attaches importance to ensuring that its radio and television programmes are in touch
with their audience. It aims to foster direct contact with them and promote cultural exchange
and knowledge transfer amid a friendly atmosphere in a light-hearted and entertaining manner.
2004
235
2005
2006
392
28
119
42
214
29
178
652
1106
923
343
449
693
447
362
372
32
165
662
43
41
250
693
67
4000
523
3500
263
3000
316
2500
425
51
88
2000
535
1000
0
646
1500
2008
It is widely acknowledged that entertainment brings people together, and this is especially important in a multilingual and multicultural society such as Switzerland’s. This is why SRG SSR regularly broadcasts programmes in which people of all ages, all walks of life and all cultures meet,
giving rise to shared experiences that are increasingly rare in today’s fragmented society and
all the more important for this very reason.
Short game shows
Variety and comedy
Circus and performances
Quizzes and competitions
Talk shows
Other entertainment
agazine and music
M
shows
Tradtional Swiss
­entertainment
Drama
4943
2006
5734
2007
5917
2008
3952
Films
81
32
874
1682
148
55
75
45
2210
773
1884
134
69
65
44
2681
737
1937
86
71
108
37
2415
871
1742
109
37
3246
4073
4837
5000
Serial drama,
e­ xcluding crime
48
31
729 1284
129
26
3853
6353
0
2055
Television movies
Other animation
Miniseries
Plays
Feature-length animation
Short films
20,000
2005
3460
15,000
4090
10,000
2004
Entertainment is proving its worth more and more these days as a means of bringing people together not only directly, but also in a virtual environment, for example through Internet forums,
online games and music platforms such as www.mx3.ch and www.vxm.ch. Virtual meet­
ing places, too, can serve to forge bonds and strengthen cultural identities.
1350
126 166
41
Creating a feeling of togetherness
Some entertainment programmes even span linguistic and national borders and thus contribute
not only to understanding between Switzerland’s language communities, but also to
strong links with other countries. In addition to offering the audience shared experiences,
these interregional and international productions also enable SRG SSR programme-makers to
share valuable insights between the different enterprise units. The best examples at the national
level are the Radio Tour, the Label Suisse music festival in Lausanne, the Swiss National Day celebrations on 1 August, the SwissAward and the Miss and Mister Switzerland contents; examples
at the international level, meanwhile, include the Musikantenstadl folk music event and the Eurovision Song Contest.
453
367
2007
In television, examples include the following: on SF, the various “SF bi de Lüt” (SF with the people) programmes such as “Über Stock und Stein” (Up Hill, Down Dale) and “Landfrauenküche”
(Farmhouse Kitchen), as well as “Samschtig-Jass” (Saturday Jass), “Donnschtig-Jass” (Thursday
Jass) and “Hopp de Bäse!” (Clean Sweep); on TSR, “Cash”, “La Boîte à musique” (The Music
Box), “Dîner à la ferme” (Dining on the farm), “Identités”, “Entre chien et chat” (Between cat
and dog) and “captation de spectacles d’humoristes romands” (Comedy shows from Frenchspeaking Switzerland); on RSI, “Attenti a quei due”, “Molla l’osso” (Let it go) and “Cash”.
1259
500
Examples in radio include productions such as “Uri, Schwyz und Untergang” (Uri, Schwyz and
Sunset) and “Morgenstund hat Gold im Mund” (Early Bird) on SR DRS, the Label Suisse music
festival and “La Soupe”, “Le Kiosque à musiques”, “Les Dicodeurs”, “Session Paradiso” and
­“Espace JazzZ” on RSR, and “Il camaleonte” (Chameleon) and “Parzialmente scremato” (Semiskimmed) on RSI.
Entertainment
Crime
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SRG SSR idée suisse public service
SRG SSR idée suisse public service
45
Publishing information
Publisher
SRG SSR idée suisse, Corporate Communications,
Max Gurtner, Berne, www.srgssrideesuisse.ch
Concept and editing
Dominic Witschi, Corporate Communications,
www.srgssrideesuisse.ch
Translations
French and Italian: Media Services SRG SSR,
­L anguage Services, Berne, www.srgssrideesuisse.ch
Rätoromanisch: Lia Rumantscha, Chur,
www.liarumantscha.ch
English: Mark O’Neil, Zurich,
www.sg-translations.ch
Design
Heusser Communicates AG, Zurich,
www.heussercom.ch
Printing
Stämpfli Ltd, Berne, www.staempfli.ch
Publication date
December 2009
Number of copies
German: 3,000; French: 1,500; Italian: 800
Ordering address
SRG SSR idée suisse
Corporate Communications
Belpstrasse 48
3000 Berne 14
The SRG SSR Public Service brochure can also be
downloaded from the website www.srgssrideesuisse.ch under “Publications”. The document is available as a PDF file in English, German, French, Italian
and Romansch.
Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the
latest SRG SSR public service information at
www.srgssrideesuisse.ch (under “Public service”).
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SRG SSR idée suisse public service