Politics Commission adopts new approach to media funding

Local and regional radio and TV stations are to receive more money from the licence fee pot. The responsible committee of the Council of States wants to make a new attempt for more media funding and has passed a draft bill to this end.

The bill is expected to go out for consultation at the beginning of July, as the parliamentary services announced on Friday. The Council of States' Committee for Transport and Telecommunications (KVF-S) approved the draft by 10 votes to 2.

Private radio and television stations are to receive 6 to 8 percent of the revenue from the Serafe fee instead of 4 to 6 percent. The package also includes support for education and training institutions, news agencies such as Keystone-SDA and self-regulatory organizations such as the Swiss Press Council.

According to the majority, the support measures are intended to ensure the quality of the Swiss media. The minority rejected the measures. It argued that these had been rejected by voters at the ballot box in 2022.