Key findings: Content
Media in Switzerland are free to design their content (programming autonomy). Nevertheless, it is important to know what components and topics their offerings consist of – and how their focus has developed.
Conclusion
- Producing journalistic content is relatively expensive and presents a particular challenge given Swiss media's difficult financial situation
- The provision of basic news and information is legally guaranteed through the national public broadcaster (SRG) and the regional public service broadcasters (licensed private radio and TV)
- The various offerings differ in terms of their programmatic focus and thematic structure
- Over time, only relatively minor changes can be observed in the programming of licensed offerings
- In 2024, all licensed radio broadcasters will have met the minimum quantitative requirement for relevant regional information. In 2024, most licensed commercial local radio stations will also show increases in regional information performance compared to previous measurements
- Regional television stations also show a significant increase in relevant regional information between the first measurement in 2020 and the current figures from 2022. With the exception of one station, all of them met the minimum requirement in 2022
- Notified broadcasters have different editorial priorities than the SRG and licensed broadcasters
- Online and print media cover diverse topics but operate without a public service mandate, allowing their editorial orientation to align more closely with audience preferences and advertising demands, especially given their financial constraints
- This underscores both the importance of publicly funded public service broadcasting in radio and television and the significance of public financing in sustaining information services, which are costly to produce
In principle, Swiss media enjoy editorial freedom. Their autonomy is protected by the Federal Constitution (Arts 16 and 17) and enshrined in law (Art. 6 RTVA). However, additional legal requirements vary, depending on the type of media and broadcaster. SRG, all regional television broadcasters and some local radio stations receive a share of the income from the radio and television licence fee, and in return must fulfil national, language-regional and regional public service mandates.
SRG radio stations: Programme structure
Most SRG radio stations examined feature a high proportion of music in their programming, though individual stations have distinct editorial focuses. News and information, for example, account for larger shares on Radio SRF 1, SRF 4 News, and RTS La 1ère.
Licensed local radio stations, fee-funded: Programme structure
Licensed private radio broadcasters devote on average just over one fifth of their programming to information, while music dominates at nearly 60%.
Notified radio stations: Thematic focus
Statements about the content of notified radio stations are based on their self-declared editorial focus. The majority identify music as their primary content.
SRG TV channels: Programme structure
Like their radio stations, SRG's TV channels differ notably in their programme structure:
- In German-speaking Switzerland, SRF 1 and especially SRF info prioritise news and information, while SRF zwei leans towards entertainment and sport.
- In French-speaking Switzerland, RTS 2 broadcasts significantly more news than RTS 1.
- In Italian-speaking Switzerland, information and entertainment content each account for a similarly high proportion of RSI 1's programming and a larger proportion than on RSI 2. At the same time, however, sports account for a larger proportion of the programming broadcast on RSI 2.
Licensed regional TV: Programme structure
Licensed private regional television broadcasters vary in editorial focus, but all devote at least nearly 60% of their programming to news and information – some reaching nearly 90%. However, their programming typically consists of hourly repeated segments, meaning they produce significantly less total unique news content than SRG.
Within these segments, topics receive roughly equal coverage. For most regional television broadcasters, societal issues typically occupy more airtime than politics.
Notified TV channels: Programme structure
Notified television broadcasters may also declare their editorial focus. Sport is the most commonly cited thematic area.
Online media: Content
Journalistic online media address a wide range of topics. Since political content was a prerequisite for inclusion in this analysis, all journalistic online media cover politics. Cultural and economic topics appear with similar frequency, while human interest and sport feature less prominently.
Press: Thematic structure
Print media have undergone a clear editorial shift in recent years. Coverage has concentrated on substantive topics – especially politics – while human interest content has declined. This trend spans all newspaper types.