Media SRG halving initiative rejected according to SRG trend calculation
Radio and TV fees will not be reduced to a maximum of CHF 200. According to the trend calculation by gfs.bern, voters rejected the SRG halving initiative.
08.03.2026, 12:00
08.03.2026, 12:03
SDA
A "No" to the popular initiative "200 francs is enough (SRG initiative)" launched by SVP exponents and the Young Liberals had recently been expected. In the latest polls, the opposing camp had gained ground after the first polls had suggested a stalemate.
Fees soon to fall to 300 francs
The referendum demands a reduction in radio and television fees to CHF 200 and the complete abolition of the corporate fee. Today, the fees for radio and television amount to CHF 335 per household per year.
The Federal Council had already accommodated the initiators last year. It decided to reduce the household fee to CHF 300 per year by ordinance. Numerous companies will also no longer have to pay the levy in future.
Specifically, the Federal Council is increasing the limit for paying the company tax from the current CHF 500,000 annual turnover to CHF 1.2 million. According to the federal government, this means that around eighty percent of companies subject to VAT will be exempt from the levy from 2027.
SRG cuts jobs
SRG can breathe a sigh of relief after the No vote. However, it still has to go back to the drawing board due to the decision to reduce the fee. It expects to make savings of around CHF 270 million by 2029. This corresponds to around 17 percent of the current financial framework.
The implementation of a savings program is already underway. In this context, SRG is assuming a reduction of around 900 full-time positions across all regions by 2029.
One third, i.e. around 300 full-time positions, will be implemented as part of the current savings program, SRG announced in November. Some of the remaining 600 jobs will be cut through staff turnover and retirements, subject to the results of the consultation process. However, redundancies are unavoidable.
Warning of redundancies
If accepted, SRG would have lost half of its income in one fell swoop, taking into account the corporate levy. The opponents of the proposal warned against such a clear-cutting.
Media coverage, particularly in peripheral regions and for language minorities, would no longer be guaranteed if fees were halved, they said. Especially in times of crisis, when democracy is under pressure in many places, strong media are needed to protect against disinformation.
The Federal Council had already taken the concerns of the initiators into account, according to the conservative side. Politicians from the SP, Center Party, Greens, GLP and FDP are involved in the "No" alliance against the SRG initiative. Sport and culture are also campaigning against the referendum.
Criticism of double taxation
In addition to the SVP and the Young Liberals, the initiative was supported by the Swiss Trade Association (SGV), among others. During the debate in the National Council, a minority of the FDP parliamentary group also voted in favor of the initiative.
The initiators argue that households need relief in times of rising health insurance premiums and rents. The Swiss currently pay the highest radio and TV fees in the world. Young people in particular, who have to finance media offerings that they do not consume, should be relieved of this burden. Single-person households would also be disadvantaged.
The proponents see the corporate tax as unfair double taxation. More efficiency, lower costs and a level playing field between SRG and private media companies are needed.
In particular, the initiators demand that SRG should concentrate on its core mandate. In the National Council debate on the initiative in June, SVP representatives criticized the SRG's ever-increasing expansion into entertainment, sport and online activities.
