Division Radio and Television Public Service Media Governance and the public Public Service Media Governance Consultation Meeting Strasbourg 17 – 18 September

2 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Outline Legal Bases Constructive Action Reactive Action Conclusion OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion

3 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal Bases OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ECTT) Federal Act on Radio and Television (RTVA) (Decree on Radio and Television (DRTV) ) Licences

4 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal Bases: SRG SSR OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Art. 31 par. 1 RTVA The SRG SSR shall organise itself so that: a. its autonomy and independence from the state and from social, economic and political groupings is guaranteed; b. it is managed economically and the reception fees are used for the purpose for which they were intended; c. the concerns of the linguistic regions are taken into consideration and national leadership and coordination is assured; d. the public is represented in the organisation; e. editorial activity is separate from economic activities; f. it can be managed, supervised and inspected in accordance with the principles of the law on companies limited by shares.

5 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal Bases: SRG SSR OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Art. 2 par. 3 Licence (Mandat en matière de programmes) Tout en restant dans le cadre programmatique et financier qui lui est imposé, la SSR tient compte des demandes et des intérêts du public.

6 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal Bases: Independent Complaints Authority (ICA) OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Art. 82 RTVA 1 The Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (Complaints Authority) comprises nine part-time members. 2 The Federal Council elects the members of the Complaints Authority and appoints the president. 3 The following may not belong to the Complaints Authority: a. members of the Federal Assembly; b. persons in the service of the Confederation; c. members of the management and employees of Swiss broadcasters.

7 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal Bases: Miscellaneous OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Art. 11 Par. 3 RTVA (Insertion and Duration of advertising) When determining deviations from the principles in paras. 1 and 2, the Federal Council shall notably take into account the following criteria: a. broadcasters performance mandates; b. the economic situation of radio and television; c. transfrontier competition; d. international regulations on advertising; e. the concerns of the audience.

8 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal Bases: Miscellaneous OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Art. 77 RTVA The Federal Council regulates the requirements and calculation criteria in accordance with which research projects in the radio and television sector are supported from the licence fee.

9 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Constructive Action Begins with the law-making-process Federal Act on the Consultation Procedure Indirect possibilites to take part in the decision-making process within the SRG RTVA Licence Statutes OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion

10 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Constructive Action Consultation Procedure RTVA (2000) - Some 200 participants (political parties, stakeholders, individuals) gave an opinion; - Some wrote that the needs of the public have not been taken into account; - Lots have been dismissive of the planned independent advisory board. OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion

11 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Constructive Action OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion

12 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Constructive Action: SRGs regional companies OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion - Art. 4 Statutes SRG (becomes effective 1/1/09) 1 Les sociétés régionales assurent lancrage de SRG SSR dans la société et participent au développement de lentreprise. 2 Elles ont pour tâches : (…) d. de mener et promouvoir le débat public sur les principes et le développement du service public audiovisuel ; - Basically everybody can become a member of a regional company (société régionale)

13 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Constructive Action: SRGs regional companies OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Art. 4 Statutes SRG (becomes effective 1/1/09) 3 Chaque société régionale met en place un conseil du public représentatif et consultatif. Ce conseil a pour tâches d'assurer des contacts étroits entre les responsables des programmes, les auditeurs et téléspectateurs ainsi que les utilisateurs des autres services journalistiques, et de soutenir par des constatations, suggestions et propositions l'activité programmatique. La base de la représentation du public est assurée par les membres des sociétés régionales.

14 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Constructive Action: Research OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion - Ofcom - SRG SSR

15 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Legal process OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion Federal Supreme Court Federal Administrative Court Independent Complaints Authority (ICA) Federal Office of Communications (Ofcom) (Supervision of financing and technical broadcasting) Office of the Ombudsperson (Supervision of the editorial programme) Administrative Procedure

16 Public Service Media Governance I Strasbourg, 17 – 18. September Conclusion OutlineLegal BasesConstructive ActionReactive ActionConclusion