20 people lose their jobs - they know nothing SRF discontinues "G&G" - communication raises questions

Next cost-cutting move at Leutschenbach. The celebrity show "Faces & Stories" is to be dropped from the program. 20 employees are losing their jobs.

A bang at Leutschenbach: the well-known celebrity show "Gesichter & Geschichten", formerly known as "Glanz & Gloria", is being axed. This was announced by SRF.

The decision will be communicated to the affected employees in the next few minutes. Around 20 jobs will be cut, according to SRF.

"This step was not an easy one for the SRF management," says Nathalie Wappler, Director of SRF, in an internal statement. "Over the past 20 years, the 'G&G' team has put its heart and soul into putting people and their stories in the spotlight. I very much regret that the daily show is now disappearing from the program. However, we had to make this decision due to the tight financial situation and the change in audience usage behavior."

The decision to reduce the program was made earlier

The background to the discontinuation, which blue News has learned from several independent sources, is piquant: The employees of "Faces & Stories" were informed some time ago that the scope of the program would be reduced.

For example, the society magazine will take a longer summer break for the first time in 2025, according to an earlier internal communication. "We therefore had to work more during the year in order to pre-produce content," a member of the editorial team told blue News. "However, there was never any talk of discontinuation. We are all shocked and devastated."

A second member of the editorial team also says that there was only talk internally of a summer break. "We asked whether the show would continue after the break in the fall. This was confirmed to us by those responsible." Those affected are dismayed. "First they talk about a summer break - and now this. That really hurts."

The 20 people affected by the dismissal are not yet known internally, says the editorial team member. "But we are deeply affected and will probably need a little more time to come to terms with it." The editorial team itself was only informed this morning.

Those affected still know nothing

When asked by blue News, SRF said that there had been various scenarios for stabilizing the job and financial framework. The decision to discontinue "G&G" as of summer 2025 was only made at the end of the year. "SRF will have to make further savings and cut jobs in the coming months because the financial situation is tight. At the same time, the program will be adapted more closely to the needs of the audience," says the media office.

It is not yet known which specific people will lose their jobs. "The editorial team and the teams affected in production were informed this morning about the discontinuation of the program. The job cuts will be worked out in detail by the end of April 2025."

The presenter duo Jennifer Bosshard and Michel Birri responded on Instagram with a film quote from 1995: "The glamour has left the building", the short video says.

SRF pulled the plug on the "Zivadiliring" project at the beginning of January. The podcast is one of the most successful in the country and was produced by SRF.

In December, it was announced that SRF intends to outsource popular formats in future. Other programs are also being put to the test.

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