Hate speech poses a serious challenge to democratic societies. The Federal Council is currently seeking to reinforce legal protection against hate speech with a number of regulatory projects. In particular, these should reinforce the rights of digital platform users. This is the conclusion of a postulate report adopted by the Federal Council at its meeting on 15 November 2023.
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The report analyses the public service provided by the SSR SRG and private radio and television broadcasters with and without support from reception fees and presents approaches for the future scope of the public service.
The Federal Council has lifted the broadcasting restriction on regional television pro-gramme services. As a result, these programme services can after the 1 march 2013 be broadcast by wire in digital format outside their allocated coverage areas.
The Federal Council has eased the conditions on private TV stations receiving support through fee splitting and changed the relationship between fees and equity financing. In the future the fee must be matched with a lower proportion of in-house funds than to date. At the same time the Federal Council is phasing out the obligation to transmit TV programme services in analogue form on cable networks.
Within the framework of a feasibility study a working group with representatives from OFCOM, two independent frequency specialists and a representative from Radio Energy determined that a fourth coverage in the Zurich-Glarus coverage area is not feasible in the short term.
Switzerland's participation in the EU's MEDIA programmes is having repercussions on television in Switzerland: in the future, international and national broadcasters and broadcasters in the different regional languages will have to comply with minimum quotas of Swiss and European productions and productions made by independent producers.
