2024 - Local television - Basel broadcaster wants to go to court to obtain a Bern license

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Telebasel is not giving up after Bakom’s rejection of the Basel “Bärn TV” project. Telebärn is confident.

The expansion plans of the Basel local television station Telebasel into the federal capital fell through in mid-January, with the license being re-awarded to Telebärn. The Basel-based company is now taking this decision by the Federal Office of Communications Bakom to the Federal Administrative Court.

The Federal Office did not do its job well.

Telebasel managing director André Moesch criticizes the federal authority: “We are of the opinion that the Federal Office has not done its job well.” It did not carry out the assessments correctly; That’s why Telebasel feels treated unfairly.

Legend:

Telebasel managing director André Moesch (archive photo)

Keystone/Christian Merz

It is particularly unfair that Bakom only used the external course costs when comparing investments in the training of journalists, but not the internal training costs. This is the only way Telebärn did better.

It’s about independence from regional television.

The Basel television boss also complains that independence was not taken into account in the narrow Bakom decision, as required by law. Telebasel’s BärnTV project is clearly more independent than Telebärn, which belongs to the CH Media group.

“I also think this is an important point politically: it’s about the independence of regional television, which would be strengthened if BärnTV were given this concession.” Telebasel submitted its application together with the Berne media company IMS Marketing AG.

Of 51 applications for radio and television stations with concession money, Bakom approved 38 and rejected the others. The Biel station TeleBielingue and the Zurich station Tele Z were among those rejected; Both are going to court because of it.

Radio Südostschweiz also didn’t get a chance: the Graubünden top dog lost out to Roger Schawinski’s new Radio Alpin.

The Radio Südostschweiz owner, the Somedia Group, is now also going to court. Managing director Silvio Lebrument says that his station submitted the well-known program, while the winning competitor was able to “promise the blue sky” because it was not broadcasting yet.

The same Chur opponents faced each other ten years ago. At that time Somedia received the concession.

The Federal Administrative Court must now resolve the dispute, which could take up to a year. Moesch estimates Basel’s chances of victory at 30 to 50 percent – which is difficult to assess due to the lack of precedent. He says that Telebasel is not attacking Telebärn with its complaint, but Bakom.