This is the International Section of
The Broadcast Archive

Maintained by:
Barry Mishkind - The Eclectic Engineer

Swiss Broadcasting:

• History
• Regulation
• Station Identifications

Swiss Broadcast History:

The first station in Switzerland was

    Swiss Radio International, a public service broadcasting voice was founded in 1935 

    As of 1997, the total radio stations were 58 with 7 consisting on AM, 50 on FM and 1 short wave (CIA World Factbook,
1999). and continues to operate by way of an operating budget that is 45 percent government run. On a budget of 46 million Swiss francs ($30 million), the Swiss Radio International is co-financed by the Swiss Federal government and the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. Although the Swiss Radio International financially supports the station, editorial freedom and independence are guaranteed.

    The SRI broadcasts in the Swiss national languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch, plus English, Spanish and Arabic. It operates similarly to its television broadcast in that it features radio formats in different languages targeted at different target markets. Programming consists of world news, Swiss news, as well as business, science and technology, medicine, culture and tourism.

    SRI also carries a service called Swiss Satellite Radio, which specifically airs music in a wide variety.

    Swiss Radio International does not carry any advertising, but they will allow for the sponsorship of programming.

    Switzerland has 108 television broadcast stations with over 2.5 million people owning a television. In order to legally watch these stations, a license is required by the government for proof of ownership of a television set. 

Stay tuned for more!

Regulation:

Early regulation of broadcasting

The current regulatory body is the Swiss Ministry of Communications.

Station Identification:

My thanks to Toby Peecher for some of the above information.