The Federal Council, which rejects the initiative, proposes to bring the fee to 300 francs by 2029. The turnover allowing an exemption for companies must also be revised upwards, from 500,000 francs to 1.2 million.
In January 2025: Initiative of 200 francs for the SSR: towards a total exemption from companies?
An indirect counter-project
At the beginning of the year, the National Commission proposed an indirect counter-project notably establishing a complete exemption from the fee for all Swiss companies and a drop in the fee for households. The Council of States Commission said no in February, pleading for a “strong SSR” and “media diversity”.
The National Commission then returned with a new counter-project, which aims to gradually eliminate business fees so that they are all exempt in 2035. It provided that the reduction of the fee affected by the SSR would not exceed 120 million francs compared to 2025.
Read also: The new SSR director wants to delete around 1000 positions
New vet of states
The Council of the Council of States again puts its veto, by 9 votes against 3. It considers that it is not necessary to take additional measures, since the government has already provided reduced to companies, indicate the services of the Parliament on Tuesday.
The Commission is once again positioned against any complete exemption from the companies that would be at the expense of the planned reduction in the household fee. On the contrary, a minority is favorable. The simultaneous perception of fees for households and businesses for the same services represents a double burden for companies, according to her.
Our file: Royalty, platforms: the battle of Swiss audiovisual
Examination of the initiative is scheduled for the next quarter
In view of its examination of the SSR Initiative, scheduled for the next quarter, the Commission has asked the administration a report concerning the state of advertising revenues in Switzerland and advertising revenues from the SSR fleeing abroad.
In a press release, the alliance for the diversity of the media, which fights the popular initiative and has members of all stripes except the UDC, praised the refusal of the Council of States Commission. It pleads for an analysis of the public service as a whole, without the media undergoing political and economic pressure.
