« Everyone has moved – including the SRG »
interview
Susanne Wille about the new deal: « Everyone has moved – including the SRG »
SRG boss Susanne Wille explains why she is ready for concessions to private media companies. And she says how the song contest for radio has been running so far.
SRG General Director Susanne Wille at the Swiss Media Forum in Lucerne.
Why does the SRG conclude an agreement with the private Swiss media companies?
Susanne Wille: The SRG and private individuals have argued and fought for many years. After my election as general director, I said that I wanted to build bridges. Switzerland’s media place is too small and international competition is too great to waste time with a dispute. There will always be differences between the SRG and the private media. It is an important sign that we are now working together in favor of people in Switzerland.
Would the 200 Franconia initiative come to this cooperation without pressure? You secure the SRG’s support for private media companies in the voting struggle.
The agreement lasts far beyond the voting date. We did not start negotiations with the private individuals with the aim that we have to finish the finish line before the campaign starts. It is about strengthening Switzerland’s media square.
It annoys that the TX Group does not participate in the agreement?
The discussions with the association were controversial, but also constructive. We have made the agreement with the association, which belongs to over 100 media companies. Everyone has moved, including the SRG. We want to build on that. We stay in conversation with the TX Group.
To the sports rights: In the future, the SRG will leave the transfer of the Champions League to private?
For private publishers, it is important to show sport on their channels. It’s about advertising, about commercial interests. It is also of great interest to the SRG that we radiate sporting events. The concretization of the agreement between the SRG and the private is now about antitrust law questions. The competition commission is involved. We are currently working on it.
Do you listen to show football games on the repeat channel SRF Info?
This topic seems to be particularly busy. We have not yet achieved such a degree of specification.
The SRG is currently producing the Eurovision Song Contest. What impression do you have from the event?
I am in Basel every day. And I can be reached for the ESC crisis staff at every day and night if something is unexpected. I am delighted to see how professionally the song contest is carried out. This shows what the SRG can do in cooperation with the city of Basel and the European Broadcasting Union EBU. This European Song Contest sends a strong Swiss signal all over the world.
