Why Swiss music says no to the SRG halving initiative

This vote is of central importance for music. SRG is not just another media provider, but the most important media platform for Swiss music - for professionals as well as for the broad amateur and up-and-coming scene.

Music reaches Switzerland - via SRG

Music is part of everyday life in Switzerland. Around 20 percent of the population sing, a further 20 percent play an instrument and almost 15 percent dance regularly. And almost everyone listens to music. The decisive factor is the channel: Over 80 percent of the population consume music via radio and television.

This is exactly where SRG comes into play. It broadcasts over 42,000 hours of Swiss music every year, produces around 1,000 hours of live music and, with an average Swiss music share of around 40 percent, reaches an audience that no private provider or streaming platform reaches to the same extent.

This presence is no coincidence, but a cultural policy mandate - and it is the basis for visibility, income and the promotion of young talent.

Visibility determines the next generation

Yvonne Glur, Co-Head of the Amateur Music Department at the Swiss Music Council and President of accordeon.ch, puts it in a nutshell: «Visibility is crucial for the next generation of amateur musicians. Young people get involved when they experience that their skills and passion are noticed, valued and shown.»

Whether brass music, choirs, folk music, jazz or contemporary formats: Many ensembles and clubs exist outside of commercial logic. Without a national stage, they quickly disappear from the public eye - and thus from everyday cultural life.

Diversity needs infrastructure

The halving initiative would deprive SRG of a large part of its financial resources. The consequences would be foreseeable: fewer in-house productions, fewer broadcasts, less reporting. Inexpensive international content would increase, while Swiss music and regional formats would be squeezed out.

Marc Trauffer, dialect pop singer and producer, warns: «We urgently need a strong SRG. Great TV entertainment cannot be financed in the private media sector in four languages - and that is precisely what contributes to the diversity of our country.»

What applies to shows and series also applies to music formats: Swiss content is complex, regionally anchored and rarely suitable for the masses in a purely commercial sense. This is precisely why a strong public infrastructure is needed.

More than music: culture as a unifying force

The media conference in Solothurn made it clear that SRG is not only central to music, but to culture as a whole. Films, series, concert recordings, archives, cultural journalism and digital platforms such as Play Suisse create a shared public sphere - across language barriers.

If this infrastructure is weakened, Switzerland will lose part of its cultural anchor. Regions, smaller language communities and niche formats would be particularly affected.

A joint "no" from the cultural sector

The cultural scene agrees: reforms, criticism and further development are all part of the process. But halving is not optimization. It is a clear cut - with consequences for jobs, young talent, diversity and cultural cohesion.

That is why musicians are joining with filmmakers, authors, actors and cultural associations to say: No to the SRG halving initiative. No to the dismantling of the media stage.

Video with Patti Basler

What happens when you listen to Mani Matter anew - politically exaggerated and highly topical? Satirist and cabaret artist Patti Basler has written his own lyrics against the SRG halving initiative to the tune of «I han es Zündhölzli azündt».

With wit and sharpness, she gets to the heart of the matter: culture, attitude - and not doing things by halves.