VSP/ASRP (Swiss Association of Private Radios) and the bilingual Radio Canal 3 present this surprising case study on a project that allows private local broadcasters to comprehensively cover the Swiss National Exhibition Expo.02 and thus guarantee their cumulated audience a professional service comparable to the one of the publicly funded broadcasters.
Expo.02 is a challenge for all Swiss media: During 159 days (May 15 - October 20, 2002), the de-centralized exhibition expects 10 million visitors on the shores of the lakes of Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel. Not only the content of the one-billion-euros event merits journalistic coverage, but also a multitude of neighbouring aspects, such as finances, traffic, security, personalities, special events and last but not least: the unexpected.
Not even for the biggest Swiss private radios - which all have to operate with local or regional licences - would it have been possible to recruit and finance the staff necessary to meet halfway the information needs of their audience in this context. Yet, Frederik Stucki, Programme Director of Biel-based Canal 3 did not want to give in: He saw Expo.02 as THE opportunity to prove that in the course of their 19 years of existence, Swiss private radios have reached a level of professionalism that can easily compete with the publicly funded giant SRG/SSR with its 16 national radio programmes.
In this conference, Frederik Stucki will explain in detail how this pioneer co-operation among competitors could be realised at no extra cost for any of the participating stations, why it strengthens the independent radios as a whole, and in which way it can serve as an example for future models of ad hoc-syndication between independent and competing private radios.
With its 29 members, the Association of Swiss Private Radios is the the leading association of private radios in Switzerland, including stations from all linguistic regions of the country, and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Its main objective is to defend the interests of its members and of private commercial radios in general. In particular, VSP/ASRP represents them in negotiations and lobbying to the legislative and executive powers, and any institutions or organisations whose activities and objectives affect theirs.
VSP/ASRP plays an active part in the development of public opinion as to media politics, encourages the exchange of know-how and products amongst its members, supports training activities, defends the interests of private radios against the claims of publicly funded broadcasters and participates in the current revision of Swiss radio, TV and copyright legislation.
VSP membership is open to all private commercial broadcasters with a federal concession allowing them to broadcast a part or full time radio programme in Switzerland. The VSP is politically, confessional, and economically independent and neutral.
Radio Canal 3 went on air in 1984 and broadcasts two parallel 24h-programmes - one in German, one in French - in the Biel-Bienne/Seeland-area, covering parts of the cantons of Berne, Solothurn, and Fribourg. According to the latest research (Radiocontrol 2001), it is the most popular radio station in the canton of the Swiss capital, Berne. By selling its national/international news bulletins to several other independent radios, Canal 3 is the most important radio news provider in the country, after the publicly funded national broadcaster SRG/SSR.
Canal 3 is the only commercial radio station in Switzerland that is constituted as a foundation and thus totally independent.