SRG SSR to maintain international services under a revised financial framework

The SRG welcomes the fact that the Federal Council, through the agreement now adopted, has ensured that the services provided under its international mandate can continue to be delivered from 2027 to 2030. This highlights the importance of the SRG’s offerings for Swiss citizens living abroad and for Switzerland’s visibility internationally.  

At the same time, the new service agreement accounts for the changed financial framework conditions affecting both the Confederation and SRG. The associated savings measures require adjustments to Swissinfo’s services and to the SRG’s cooperation with TV5MONDE and 3sat. In addition, TVsvizzera will be discontinued. Staffing cuts will be unavoidable r to implement the changes to the SRG’s international mandate. The SRG’s currently valid social plans apply to all affected staff members. 

Focus on Swissinfo's offering

For Swissinfo, the new service agreement entails a budget reduction of CHF8.3 million, from the current CHF18.8 million to CHF10.5 million. The Confederation and the SRG each bear 50% of the costs of Swissinfo's offering. 

Due to budget cuts, the Confederation and the SRG jointly reviewed the international service. Based on the results of this analysis and on strategic criteria, the weighting of which was jointly determined by the negotiating parties, it was decided to discontinue the services in Japanese and Portuguese, as well as TVsvizzera. 

As part of the SRG transformation programme “Enavant”, which considers, among other things, the changing financial policy framework, Swissinfo was integrated into the SRG-wide “Offer” division in 2026. With “Enavant”, the SRG has created the organisational conditions for closer collaboration across language regions and regional units. This enables the company to strengthen networking in the areas of content, expertise and processes across the organisation despite the politically mandated cost-cutting measures, and to make more targeted use of existing potential. Swissinfo will focus and prioritise its services in future. The aim is to offset part of the budget cut by pooling resources and by making greater use of, and carefully adapting, existing content from other SRG services.  

The partnership with TV5MONDE and 3sat will continue 

International cooperation with TV5MONDE and 3sat will remain part of the SRG’s international offering in the future, albeit on an adjusted scale. 

A total of CHF9.8 million per year will be available in the future for Switzerland’s participation in TV5MONDE. The SRG welcomes the fact that the Confederation is providing funding of CHF8 million in accordance with its intergovernmental commitments. In doing so, Switzerland is aligning itself with the practice of the other countries participating in TV5MONDE. The remaining CHF1.8 million will be shared between the Confederation and the SRG, with each party contributing CHF0.9 million. In terms of content, Switzerland will continue to fulfil the contractually stipulated share of 9% Swiss programming on TV5MONDE. The SRG will further develop its programming and co-produced content in a way that takes the new budget into account. 

From now on, a total budget of CHF3.7 million has been earmarked for 3sat, to be funded equally by the Confederation and the SRG, each contributing CHF1.85 million. At the same time, the proportion of Swiss content provided by the SRG will be reduced from the current 10% to 8%. This will be achieved primarily through a targeted reduction in commissioned productions and in-house productions. 

The international mandate remains an important part of public service 

In connection with the relief package 27, the SRG had advocated for the retention of the federal contribution to the international mandate. Parliament’s rejection of the proposal to do away with the contribution and the Federal Council’s adoption of the new service agreement are important indicators of the political legitimacy and significance of the international mandate and the benefits it brings to Switzerland. 

The new service agreement provides the foundation on which the SRG will continue to carry out its international mandate in the years ahead. The SRG is actively managing these changes and is deploying the available resources where it can achieve the greatest impact. Despite the necessary adjustments, the SRG remains committed to its public service mandate: it will continue to provide reliable information for Swiss citizens living abroad and ensure that Switzerland remains visible on the international stage.