Castillo - Saturday June 23, 09:30 - 11:30
Round Table.
- Mr. Yves CHRISTEN, Mayor of Vevey, National Councillor
- Mr. Marc FURRER, Head of the Federal Office for Communications
- Mr. Filippo LOMBARDI, speaker TELESUISSE
- Mr. Christian STAERKLE, President of Privat Radio Schweiz
- Mr. Blaise ROSTAND, SSR-SRG (public radio and TV)
- a representative of the Swiss newspapers publishers
Switzerland is a wonderful country - but not an easy one for private radio and TV.
Jokingly, some people call it "the last soviet country of the world, in the field of electronic media"!
Just imagine another country where the State company owns six TV channels (the only six with nationwide coverage, the only ones receiving frequencies for wireless diffusion) and some 14 radio channels. And where private TV can only be distributed by cable and within a limited area, authorised by a government office. And where the only audience control system - controlling also the private channels - belongs to the same State company...
Well, there are certain historical, geographical, cultural and other reasons for this situation, but anyhow... A first step towards liberalisation was taken ten years ago. Now, the country is facing a big debate around the project of a new radio and TV law. Will it grant more effective freedom for privates, or, on the contrary, will it increase even more the privileges of the State company? And will it support or harm the Swiss electronic media altogether, in favour of their foreign challengers?
This debate can be of interest also for the situation in other countries, where technical, financial and editorial inequalities between public service and private channels are still under discussion, as is the case also at EU level.
The panel will be led by the journalist Nicholas WILLEMIN, with the participation of Marc FURRER, Head of the Federal Office for Communications, Yves CHRISTEN, MP and Mayor of the Town of Vevey, Filippo LOMBARDI, Speaker of Telesuisse, association of all Swiss private TV, Christian STAERKLE, President of Privat Radio Schweiz; Blaise Rostand of the SSR-SRG (public radio and TV) and a representative of the Swiss newspapers publishers.
Moderation: Nicolas Willemin, Ringier (CH)