SRF, the German-speaking public television channel, will cut 70 positions by the end of the year, in order to continue to guarantee a balanced budget from 2025. This measure is not linked to supraregional economic measures within of SSR, which are necessary due to political processes. It is the consequence of the decline in commercial revenues and the increase in prices.
As director Nathalie Wappler underlined when presenting this plan to staff: “The partial elimination of compensation for rising prices from next year and the reduction of the fee from 2027 will further reduce our financial framework. At the same time, we must adapt to changing media usage and want to continue to offer an attractive offer to all residents of German-speaking Switzerland.”
“SRF 4.0” strategy
Since March, the SRF has been carrying out a strategic corporate project called “SRF 4.0”. The objective of this plan, in addition to the short-term stabilization of the postal and financial framework, is the continuation of the digital transformation of the SRF in the medium and long term. To do this, the project team will continue to develop different scenarios for the offer and the future organization of the SRF until the end of the year. These scenarios take into account the uncertain development that the SRF and SSR face due to political processes.
Synergies in the organization
Savings are planned within the two audio/digital and video editors through organizational adaptations and occasional reductions in the offer. The objective of these adaptations is to exploit the synergies between audio, video and digital. This is, for example, possible through joint planning of major events. There are also plans to slightly reduce management and support positions.
After the separation of production and technology into two independent departments, SRF will further aim for efficiency gains in the processes of both organizational units. This will result in a reduction of certain positions, including at management level. In addition, isolated positions will be eliminated company-wide to eliminate duplication in the organization.
Changes to the offer by 2025
To achieve the savings objective in information departments, occasional adjustments to the offer are inevitable. The emphasis will be placed on abandoning certain formats during off-peak times in summer, on weekends and outside prime time. The offer intended for under 35s will also be modified. To reach this age group in an even more targeted manner, SRF will produce fewer formats in the future, but will provide them with greater financial and human resources. The overall budget remains unchanged. The remaining offers can thus be extended and developed.
Overall, this refocusing leads to a slight reduction in positions in the Distribution, Sport and Entertainment departments. These one-off adaptations of the offer also allow reductions in production. Further savings within the Production department can be achieved through reduced third-party mandates and more efficient studio planning. Likewise, there are plans to transfer other broadcasts to the Information and Sports Center (NSC).
