Key findings: Offerings and organisations
A diversity of available information is necessary for the democratic formation of opinion. It is therefore important to know how many offerings exist per media type (diversity of offerings), who owns them (diversity of providers), and how both aspects have developed.
Conclusion
- Switzerland’s media landscape comprises a wide variety of different offerings - the diversity of offerings is high
- However, market saturation has become apparent in recent years: the number of media offerings is declining in all media genres (radio, TV, online media, print media)
- In the case of radio and TV offerings, the decline is primarily due to the discontinuation of notified programs, while the number of offerings financed by license fees has remained unchanged
- The diversity of offerings shown here – i.e., many different media offerings – does not necessarily mean that users can obtain information from many different media offerings that also offer different content, e.g., if a media group can distribute editorial content across several offerings, including from different media genres. The number of offerings and the distribution of providers does not allow conclusions to be drawn about the diversity of content
- n the radio and TV sector, there are also signs of concentration and market consolidation: the number of offerings owned or controlled by a single organization has increased since 2015. The diversity of providers is thus declining
The media play a key role in shaping public opinion and attitudes. In an inclusive democracy, this means that a wide range of information must be available in all parts of the country and in all national languages. Diversity in the media sector may refer to, for example, the variety of content on offer and the range of providers available. In terms of diversity of offerings, the following developments can be observed:
Radio: Number of programs
In 2024, Switzerland had a total of 218 radio stations:
- 173 notified radio stations
- 28 licenced stations, including 13 fee-funded licensed commercial radio stations, 6 non-fee-funded licensed commercial radio stations and 9 fee-funded licensed non-commercial complementary radio stations
- 17 radio stations operated by SRG
Until 2022, the number of notified radio stations in Switzerland had been increasing significantly – from 40 in 2015 to 199 in 2020, and then to 235 in 2022. By 2024, however, the number had dropped to 173, largely due to the closure of numerous music-focused stations operated by some major providers.
Television: Number of programs
In 2024, Switzerland had a total of 221 TV channels:
- 201 notified TV channels
- 13 fee-funded licensed regional TV channels
- 7 TV channels operated by SRG
The number of notified TV channels has increased significantly compared to 2015 (110) and up to 2022 (2020: 244; 2022: 269). The decline since then is largely due to the discontinuation of various sports/special-interest channels. The number of license-fee-funded TV offerings has remained stable over time (SRG, licensed regional television stations).
Online media: Number of offerings
In 2024, there were 346 online media outlets in Switzerland offering journalistic content updated at least weekly. Of these, 263 (76%) are linked to print or radio/TV broadcast media, while 81 (23%) are ‘pure players’ founded and operating exclusively online.
The number of journalistic online media outlets has decreased slightly since this type of service offering was first recorded in 2022 (353). This drop is due to the closure of certain outlets or their integration into larger media brands.
Press: Number of offerings
In 2024, there were a total of 257 print media titles in Switzerland (criteria: minimum number of journalistic articles; topics covered: politics plus one additional topic, such as business, culture or sport; frequency of publication: at least once a week). The majority of these are weekly newspapers (158; 61%), followed by 91 daily newspapers (35%) and 8 Sunday newspapers (3%).
Over the past ten years, the number of print titles has steadily declined: from 314 in 2015 to 274 in 2020, 264 in 2022, and 257 in 2024.
Ownership structure
While Switzerland has a substantial number of media offerings – indicating a high level of diversity of offerings – this does not necessarily reflect diversity in terms of ownership and control. The following developments can be observed:
- The 173 notified radio stations are owned by 88 organisations, averaging two per organisation. This represents a marked increase from 1.1 in 2015, indicating rising concentration.
- The 201 notified TV channels are owned by 79 organisations, averaging 2.5 per organisation. In 2015, this figure was 1.4 – again showing increased concentration.
- The 346 online media outlets are owned by 245 organisations, behind which stand 205 larger entities or ‘controllers’. This works out at an average of 1.7 online outlets per organisation. Compared to 2022, the structure has remained largely unchanged (353 outlets owned by 195 controllers – an average of 1.8).
- The 257 print titles are owned by 120 publishers, averaging 2.1 titles per publisher. This ratio has remained relatively stable since 2015.
Opinion power
The ownership structures also influence the impact that major media companies have on public opinion in Switzerland. For example, media companies TX Group, CH Media and Ringier – with their various service offerings – are among those with the greatest potential to shape public discourse.
The organisation with the greatest overall influence on Swiss public opinion is, however, SRG. Given its legal obligation to ensure content diversity and balanced reporting, its dominant position is not considered problematic. Another significant actor in shaping public opinion is Meta, through its social media platforms Instagram and Facebook.