Search results : 189

In a decision reached in December 1999, the Federal Office of Communication (BAKOM) concluded an official investigation by ruling that TV3 had broadcast illegal commercial breaks. The charge particularly concerned the interruption of hour-long programmes such as Fohrler live, Räz and Emergency Room. The programmes were split into two, with a break containing advertising together with either the game Due or the weather forecast. However, these hour-long programmes constituted single productions which, under the provisions of the Radio and Television Act (Radio- und FernsehgesetzRTVG), may not be...

The Swiss Radio and Television Corporation (SRG) broadcast illegal advertisements for alcohol during the Football World Cup in France. According to a decision of the Federal Office of Communication (BAKOM) in December last year, the channel will be fined SFr 5,000 and will have to forfeit the net profit made from the advertisement concerned (around SFr 550,000). The commercial was broadcast a total of 486 times on television channels SF DRS, TSR and TSI. It shows football players celebrating victory by drinking beer. The logo Feldschlösschen appears on beer bottles and glasses. Towards the end...

The set-top box developed for the decoding of the Teleclub channel, the so-called "d-box", is likely to discriminate against the digital distribution of other pay-TV stations and to restrict the public's free choice of programmes. Only an open set-top box and use of the internationally recognised coding system Multicrypt enables the public to receive a variety of different coded channels using the same set-top box, thanks to its open interface. These were the conclusions of the Swiss Department for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (UVEK) in a decision of 8 November 1999. In...

Liechtenstein and Slovenia ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television on 12 and 29 July 1999 respectively. The Convention came into effect on 1 November 1999 in both countries. Albania also signed the Convention on 2 July 1999. On ratification, Liechtenstein and Slovenia at the same time accepted the amending protocol to the Convention. Switzerland announced that it would apply the protocol on a temporary basis until it finally comes into effect (see IRIS 1999-4: 3 und IRIS 1999-9: 4).

On 23 June 1999 the Swiss government decided to sign the protocol, adopted by the Council of Europe, to amend the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (see IRIS 1998-9:4). At the same time, certain provisions of the Swiss Radio and Television Decree ( Radio- und Fernsehverordnung - RTVV) were also brought into line with international law. The new regulations include the right of the general public to free televised access to major sporting and cultural events. In line with EU provisions on the subject, Switzerland will draw up lists of sporting and cultural events of particular social...