Nov 4, 5:00 PM
Swiss Federal Council Increases Broadcasting Fee Allocation for Regional Media
Licensed local radio and television stations will receive seven percent of reception fee revenues starting in 2027.
Swiss local radio stations and regional television outlets will receive an increased share of public broadcasting fee revenues starting on 1 January 2027. The Swiss Federal Council announced the concrete implementation rules after Parliament finalized the corresponding legislative revision at the end of 2025. Under the updated legal framework, licensed regional broadcasters will be allocated seven percent of the total proceeds generated from national reception fees.
The adjustment increases the financial support provided to local outlets by approximately 9 million Swiss francs per year. Consequently, the overall annual pool available to regional private radio and television stations will expand to 95 million Swiss francs. When passing the statutory changes, Parliament established a flexible range of six to eight percent of fee proceeds, within which the Federal Council set the final allocation rate.
Federal assistance will also extend to broader media infrastructure measures beyond direct broadcaster subsidies. The Federal Council established specific financial allocations for training institutions that deliver initial and continuing education to editorial staff. For both 2027 and 2028, an amount of 1.5 million Swiss francs per year has been set aside for these professional training programs.
The newly structured fee distribution mechanism is based on amendments to the federal Radio and Television Act adopted in late 2025. All associated statutory adjustments, including the redistributed reception fee shares and general training funds, are scheduled to enter into force simultaneously at the start of 2027.
Written by Thomas Nussbaumer thomas.nussbaumer@alpineweekly.com
