Parent organisations

SRG SSR idée suisse (referred to below as SRG SSR) is an association under Article 60 ff. of the Swiss Civil Code. The overall parent organisation for SRG SSR business activities, it is a non-profit-making public service undertaking.

SRG SSR association structure

The SRG SSR association is made up of four regional member associations: SRG idée suisse Deutschschweiz (SRG.D), SSR idée suisse Romande (RTSR), the Società cooperativa per la Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (CORSI), and SRG SSR Svizra Rumantscha (SRG.R). In German and French-speaking Switzerland, the regional associations are further broken down into various member companies. Anyone with an interest can join the regional or member orgamisations and help to shape SRG SSR operations within the framework of the activities of their association or cooperative.

SRG SSR association remit

Through its regional companies, the SRG SSR association provides radio stations, television channels and other news, information and entertainment services in accordance with the Federal Radio and Television Act (RTVA) of 24 March 2006 and the charter granted by the Federal Council. It receives a portion of licence fees, which it uses exclusively to cover the costs of running its radio stations, television channels and other news, information and entertainment services.

SRG SSR idée suisse expresses the identity of Switzerland as a nation, as well as the diversity of its regions, in both its on and off-air offerings. Under Article 24, para. 2 RTVA, such services should encourage freedom of opinion and cultural development and play a part in educating and entertaining their audience.

Under the terms of its charter and a service agreement with the Swiss Confederation, the association also offers an international news and information service that is intended to promote closer ties between Swiss expatriates and their home country, as well as Switzerland's presence in the world, and understanding abroad for the nation's concerns.

The association may also become involved in other activities that are directly or indirectly associated with its corporate objectives.

According to the SRG SSR statutes, as well as its Organisational Regulations, the law, the SRG SSR charter and SRG SSR enterprise policy, the regional companies are in charge of establishing, producing and distributing radio stations, television channels and other news, information and entertainment services for their region. This remit results in the following specific tasks:

• Ultimate management of those Enterprise Units providing radio and television, as well as other news, information and entertainment services, for their region;
• Monitoring and evaluating radio, television and other news, information and entertainment services;
• Leading and encouraging public discussion on public audiovisual services, their underlying principles and their development;
• Firmly establishing SRG SSR in Swiss life by encouraging natural persons and legal entities alike to become members of regional and member organisations and by having members and the population as a whole represented in SRG SSR bodies.

Association bodies

Unless determined otherwise by the RTVA, the provisions of Swiss company law apply by analogy to internal regulations governing the rights, duties and responsibilities of SRG SSR bodies.

The highest body within the SRG SSR Association is the Delegates' Meeting.

In addition to the internal business (as per the statutes) that must be dealt with by a general meeting under association and company law, the Delegates' Meeting votes on proposals put forward by the Board of Directors concerning applications to the Federal Council for an increase in licence fees, and approves other applications to the Federal Council for changes to be made to the SRG SSR charter on media policy grounds. It ratifies the Organisational Regulations, the Swissinfo articles of association and the appointment of the Director General, and issues the Compensation Regulations that apply to both itself and the Board of Directors. The statutes lay down the division of authorities between the Delegates' Meeting, as the highest body, and the Board of Directors. The Delegates' Meeting is held at least twice a year.

It is chaired by the Chairman of SRG SSR and its Committee forms the SRG SSR Board of Directors, which manages the enterprise as a whole. The Delegates' Meeting also appoints the enterprise's auditors.

The Board of Directors of SRG SSR idée suisse is the highest level of management within SRG SSR and is answerable to the charter authorities for the fulfilment of the performance remits laid down in law and in the charter. Subject to the Organisational Regulations and the principles of company law, it delegates the overall management of enterprise business and on and off-air services to the Director General.

Swissinfo has its own Special Council and an ombudsman's office. 

Bodies within the regional companies

The Delegates' Meeting and the Board of Directors at national level correspond to the Regional Councils and their boards at regional company level. The Director General is a member of the regional boards of directors and may refer their decisions to the SRG SSR Board of Directors if they would significantly harm the interests of the enterprise as a whole.

Each regional company has a Public Council, which provides a platform for ongoing contact between programme-makers, on the one hand, and the audience, on the other. The Councils also support service provision by the regional companies by making statements and proposals.

Members of regional companies may be elected to audience representation bodies. Each language region has an ombudsman’s office, set up by the Public Council, to handle complaints about services.