Once every generation, Switzerland treats itself to a National Exhibition - the last one was in Lausanne in 1964. Commissioned by the Swiss Confederation, preparations for the next Expo in the year 2002 started in the mid-nineties. For the first time, the exhibition is being held not at a single venue, but spread out over a whole region: the Land of the Three Lakes. Covering such a decentralized national event that opens its doors for 159 days seems an almost impossible task for the Swiss private radios, which all operate on a local or regional base. Yet, it is their ambition to put the publicly funded national broadcaster SSR in the shade, thanks to a pioneer project at no extra cost.
Architects, scenographers, and people from the worlds of culture, politics and economics have worked closely together to make the National Exhibition heralding the beginning of the new millennium a unique experience for its visitors: 4.8 million guests and over 10 million entries are expected on the shores of the lakes of Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel.
Expo.02 takes place from 15 May to 20 October 2002 in a spectacular but transitory work of architecture - by autumn 2003 all the buildings will have disappeared. What remain are the Land of Three Lakes... and a multitude of memories. Memories that will include a unique co-operation among independent - and under ordinary circumstances competing - Swiss radios: In order to assure a complete and professional coverage of Expo.02 for all private stations - and thus be able to offer their audience a public service comparable to SSR's - a temporary common central studio has been set up in Biel. Its editorial staff is comprised of professionals lent by every station for a certain period of time.
On the occasion of MITIL 2002, this project will be presented as a case study, and its initiator, Frederik Stucki of Biel-based Radio Canal 3, will explain in detail how this pioneer co-operation among competitors could be realized at no extra cost for any of the participating stations, why it strengthens the independent radios as opposed to the so-called public service broadcasters and in which way it can serve as an example for future models of temporary or permanent syndication between independent and competing private radios.
Furthermore, on Sunday, 16 June MITIL-participants are welcome to have a look at the project on the spot, together with a free excursion to the Biel-part of Expo.02