Again Natalie Rickli: " to exist with No Billag." The "fact check" begins like this: "In principle, the statement is correct." But then it is evidently completely wrong, because the truth content suddenly shrinks to 10 percent. This is justified with two quotes. One from Otfried Jarren, professor at the Institute for Journalism and Media Research at the University of Zurich: "The SRG would no longer be able to finance its current program offering without license funds." And one, to be honest, from germany rcs data SRG corporate communications (!): "Without radio and reception fees, the SRG and its programs would be abolished: No Billag means No SRG." A spokesperson explains that the broadcast of major sporting events "cannot be financed through advertising alone." For example, the broadcast of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi could only be financed commercially to the extent of 17 percent.
(As a reminder: SRG travelled to Sochi with 340 employees.)
The truth is: SRG is a sizeable media group with equity of 420 million francs. That is almost twice as much as the Neue Zürcher Zeitung AG with 280 million francs. In addition, the SRF broadcasters have produced many excellent and extremely well-known journalists as figureheads. The idea that such a media empire would simply implode is unrealistic. On the contrary: SRG would be released into a newly emerging market with a considerable head start. In the future, for example, it could market unlimited online advertising. What SRG would look like in the future will be decided by the market and not by SRG corporate communications.