The history of SRG

An important milestone was without doubt the first television program in 1951. Resistance was strong back then, because of fears that television would destroy family structures. In 1968, colour television was introduced and in 2007 quality exponentially increased thanks to the launching of HD suisse. Today, it is impossible to imagine our lives without moving images.

The radio also made a major step forwards in 1956 with the introduction of VHF, which improved quality of radio reception and enabled broadcasting of a second radio programme. Today, VHF have become obsolete and will be entirely replaced in a few years by digital broadcasting technologies, like DAB+ and IP (online).

For a long time, the audio-visual public service was financed exclusively through public radio and tv reception fees, but with the introduction of TV advertising in 1965, new ways of financing could be found. In 1983, the SRG underwent another major transformation, when the media law was liberalized and private radios started to compete with the SRG. Ten years later, the same happened to television.

Two of the greatest challenges the SRG ever had to face weren't so long ago. March 2018 and the No Billag initiative: With 71.6% the Swiss people voted clearly in favour of the audio-visual public service. March 2026: The Swiss electorate rejected by 61.9% the initiative "200 francs are enough!". The initiative aimed to reduce the household fee from 335 to 200 francs and exempt businesses entirely from paying the fee.

Over the past years, both Switzerland and the SRG have changed. However, its role as a public service broadcaster and its commitment to ensuring a multilingual media offering throughout Switzerland have been an integral part of its DNA for almost a century. ​