On March 8, the Swiss population was called upon to vote on four social issues, including a reduction in the radio and television license fee. The question: should the fee, currently set at 335 francs per year per household, be reduced to 200 francs? Swiss sports expressed their views. his concern about this anti-SSR initiativeAnd he was heard.
"Sport thrives on its visibility."
Citizens overwhelmingly rejected this proposal: 61,9% voted against it. This is good news for Swiss Olympic, the national sports federations, and all the stakeholders who had campaigned within the sports committee against the anti-SSR initiative. Following the vote, the committee welcomed " a clear signal in favor of the essential role of sport in public service media The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts approximately 9.000 hours of live sports per year. The reduction in the license fee would have led to significant budget cuts and fewer broadcasts.
« With a budget cut in half, (…) some sports would no longer be produced and others would migrate to pay television. However, sport thrives on visibility: less visibility means fewer sponsors, fewer up-and-coming athletes, and ultimately, less sport. "The committee warned. Its arguments seem to have resonated. And the context probably helped as well.
During a recent interview with Francs JeuxRuth Metzler-Arnold, president of Swiss Olympic, believed that coverage of the Olympic Games had arrived at the right time "So that the 'no' vote will prevail, given the Swiss delegation's record number of medals and its success with audience ratings." Great sporting moments – like the recent Swiss successes at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games – are part of our collective memory. Such moments must remain freely accessible to the entire population for all sports, and this must continue in the future. " insists the leader.
The threat of budget cuts still looms.
Emboldened by the public vote, the sports committee opposing the anti-SSR initiative cites four priorities: ensure that major international competitions, as well as the performances of Swiss national teams and athletes, remain freely accessible "; to offer a showcase for all sports, including the " less commercially successful "; strengthening women's sport; and finally actively promote inclusion in sport through continuous media coverage "of para sport."
There is, however, a "but": the fee will still be reduced to 300 francs by 2029, as decided by the Federal Council. According to calculations by the SSR, this implies reducing costs by approximately 270 million francs. It is not possible to reduce the budget by 270 million francs without revising certain programs. " warned Albert Rösti, Federal Councillor, speaking into the microphone of the RTSIn France, public sector budget constraints have already impacted sports broadcasts on France Télévisions: the group ceded nine Six Nations Tournament matches to TF1 this year.
