Sonart Criticizes SRG's Sale of Radio Stations
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation’s (SRG) decision to sell three music channels has drawn criticism from the Association of Swiss Musicians. In particular, the association takes issue with the fact that the requirement to broadcast 50 percent Swiss music applies to the new owners for only two years.
Radio Swiss Pop, Radio Swiss Classic, and Radio Swiss Jazz are changing hands: The first station is being acquired by CH Media, and the other two by Digris, as the SRG announced this week. The new owners have committed to maintaining the stations’ current musical and content focus—but only for two years.
For Sonart, the Association of Swiss Musicians, this is a bitter disappointment. «Just a few months after music creators campaigned with great dedication against the halving initiative and in favor of a strong SRG, they must once again accept cuts—of all things—to Swiss music,» Sonart writes in a press release. Two years, it says, do not provide sustainable security—they merely postpone the uncertainty. «Radio Swiss Pop, Radio Swiss Classic, and Radio Swiss Jazz are important platforms for the visibility of Swiss music,» Sonart emphasizes. The stations also generate direct revenue for musicians through Suisa and Swissperform.
Sonart is calling on CH Media and Digris to maintain the current requirement of at least 50 percent Swiss music even beyond the two-year guarantee period. As for SRG, Sonart expects it to «concretely compensate for the loss of these important platforms in its remaining radio, TV, and digital offerings and to create additional, lasting visibility for Swiss music.».
