With this contribution we are not claiming that the broadcasting companies of SRG provide too little culture. We are not exercising any content-related or strategic criticism of the public service here. As a collective management organization, ProLitteris does not engage in media policy, but in our activities we are connected with the professional and industry associations in the field of words and images.
Our starting point is the dissatisfaction and misunderstandings among literature and culture professionals when it comes to radio and television. When cultural programs are cancelled, there is great regret, but only a few figures and facts are available on the overall cultural services. And the dialogue between cultural associations and SRG sometimes works better, sometimes worse – with uncertain substance.
Instead of focusing on individual programs, we therefore address the question of how to manage cultural services: the governance of SRG.
Today, the services in the programs and other offerings are presented predominantly in a qualitative way, with words and examples. In addition, they appear horizontal, as part of the whole: reporting is part of the broad field of «information», and in-depth coverage is subsumed in the amalgam «culture, society and education».
Our proposal: this should be supplemented by a quantitative presentation of the cultural services, which focuses vertically on the cultural sectors. If SRG presents its diverse cultural services in a more precise and systematic way, it serves transparency, the interested public and the stakeholders concerned. In this way, SRG can respond to expectations in a more objective manner.
All radio and TV programs and the other journalistic offerings of the business units are accessible for a uniform and clear presentation of SRG’s cultural services. Cultural services can be understood as a system with three levels.
On the first level, SRG – like other providers – delivers broad cultural reporting as part of its information mandate.
On the second level, the provider ensures targeted cultural mediation. This includes competent, dedicated editorial and long-term cultural criticism.
At the top, as the third level of cultural services, is the targeted production and promotion, which, in addition to filmmaking, covers as many categories of artistic creation as possible, though by its nature not all of them.
A media public service offering must focus on established sectors. For culture, separately on film, music, literature, theatre, visual arts, photography, dance and media.
Structures such as those in Swiss filmmaking (Pacte de l’audiovisuel) and music creation (Charter of Swiss Music) need to be consolidated. Binding cooperation should be extended to sectors such as literature and science: a Pacte de la littérature is needed.
SRG should therefore rely on institutionalized cooperation with professional and industry associations. The target and quality assurance systems already established in the service mandates and in practice should also be applied to cultural services and educational services (Art. 4 and 5 SRG license).
In developing this concept, the freedom of the media and program autonomy of the broadcasting companies must be respected. In addition, no unnecessary bureaucracy should arise. Objectives (as part of the strategy), agreements (as part of the cooperation) and procedures (as part of management and monitoring) should be simple and transparent. This also avoids market distortions resulting from the fact that the broadcasting companies provide cultural promotion.
SRG is advised to pursue pragmatic, honest and systematic planning, monitoring and information. In addition to cultural services, areas such as science journalism could also be managed in a comparable way.
The design of a concept for the planning, reporting and governance of cultural services in the public service should originate from SRG. If political support and legal anchoring are necessary, they could be envisaged as follows.
- Study on cultural services in accordance with Art. 4 para. 5 SRG license.
- Cooperation obligations in Art. 7 para. 3 SRG license, for example in literature.
- Measurable objectives in the application or adaptation of Art. 5 of the SRG license (program strategy).
Key figures could include financial and personnel budgets as well as the volume and duration of content. The goal conflicts between «ratings» (reach) and «quality» (resonance) should be addressed consciously and presented in a measurable way.
The associations for culture, literature and media are close to SRG and its content. Cultural creation and the media public service benefit from each other. This situation invites not only anecdotal, but institutional and substantial engagement. The responsibility for this lies with SRG, which is currently undergoing change under considerable political and economic pressure.