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A number of amendments have been made to the Swiss Radio and Television Decree (ORTV) with a view to relaxing the rules on advertising and sponsorship, although the modifications, in force since 1 April 2010, concern private-sector broadcasters only. The Federal Council has deferred its decision on a possible relaxation of the provisions governing the public-sector broadcasting company SSR after examining the amount of the licence fee for receiving radio and television broadcasts (see IRIS 2010-5/12). In June 2010, the Federal Council decided not to increase the fee for the years 2011 to 2014,...

Watching digital TV programmes requires having a receiver capable of transforming the signal into images that can be viewed on the screen. The receiver is usually incorporated into latest-generation television sets (digital tuner), but a separate decoder is necessary for older sets. However, consumers are often obliged to rent or buy receivers approved by their telecommunication service provider (proprietary decoders). This obligation restricts users’ freedom of choice and hinders competition on the market for receivers of digital television broadcast by cable. The Federal Council is therefore...

In October 2009, Schweizer Fernsehen SF 1, a German-language channel operated by the Schweizerische Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft (Swiss radio and television corporation - SRG) reported on the controversial referendum poster used by supporters of the petition for a referendum concerning a ban on the construction of minarets. A two-minute report in the “Tagesschau” news programme sought the views of municipal authorities and the Eidgenössische Kommission gegen Rassismus (Swiss anti-racism commission - EKR) on the controversial poster. A report lasting more than four minutes in the “10vor10” current...

In a decision delivered on 21 December 2009, the Tribunal Administratif Fédéral (federal administrative court - TAF) looked into the question of whether the charge for receiving radio and television programmes still had to be paid when a person with an ADSL connection or a clock radio stated that these were not used for listening to the radio. Article 68 (1) of the Federal Radio and Television Act (LRTV) provides that anyone installing or operating a device intended for receiving radio and television programmes (a receiver) must pay a reception charge. Reception charges are payable per household,...

The Radio and Television Decree (Ordonnance sur la Radio et la Télévision - ORTV) has been amended, as of 1 April 2010, in order to bring its provisions into line with European rules. As a result of the transposition of Directive 2007/65/EC on Audiovisual Media Services (“AVMS Directive”) into the national law of the member states of the European Union, those French, German and Italian television channels that can be picked up in Switzerland now have more opportunities with regard to advertising and sponsorship. The new agreement on Switzerland’s participation in the MEDIA programme also provides...