Observed Signal · Jul 1, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Canal B regional TV channel launches in Biel
Canal B, a new regional television broadcaster serving Biel, Seeland, the Bernese Jura, the Freiburg lakes district and the Grenchen area, began transmissions on the evening of 1 July 2026. Its first news bulletin included a recorded interview with Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and a report on Mercy Ships that did not mention the organisation's explicitly Christian background. Canal B operates two language channels (German and French) with largely identical 15-minute newscasts at launch. The station is owned by Neuchâtel production company Mystik SA and its editorial team plans to grow from about ten journalists to 20–25 after launch. The Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) granted the concession in early 2024; the previous concessionaire TeleBielingue challenged the award in court and lost.
Regional linear TV launch increases local broadcast inventory and is relevant for local media markets and publishers, but it is not a major industry-wide development; editorial concerns about undisclosed organisational background and the prior regulatory court fight add limited broader significance.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Canal B began broadcasting on 2026-07-01 as a regional TV station for Biel and surrounding areas.
- The first evening included a recorded interview with Federal Councillor Albert Rösti.
- A first-day report about Mercy Ships described it as humanitarian but omitted mention of the organisation's Christian background.
- Canal B is owned by the Neuchâtel production company Mystik SA; owners Marcello Del Zio and Joël Pelet also operate Canal Alpha.
- The Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) awarded the concession in early 2024; TeleBielingue contested the decision up to the Federal Administrative Court and lost.
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Canal B to Launch Two-Language Regional TV on July 1
Canal B, a newly licensed regional broadcaster for Biel, Seeland and the Bernese Jura, will begin transmissions on July 1, 2026. The station will operate two separate language channels (German and French) fed by a single bilingual newsroom. Christian Willi (Managing Director) and Laurent Kleisl (Editor-in-Chief, French) explain the model: shared editorial resources, joint decisions by the two editors-in-chief, pooled advertising revenue for the overall project, and selective bilingual or language-specific programming. Canal B is completing studio build-out, hiring VJs, running test broadcasts and plans operational cooperation with Canal Alpha and Mystik for technical infrastructure and ad-spot production. The concession followed a multi-year dispute and replaces competitor TeleBielingue’s licence, prompting debate about the cultural impact of separating language channels in a traditionally bilingual region.
TeleBielingue Continues Operating Without Concession
TeleBielingue, a bilingual regional TV station owned by the Gassmann Gruppe, will continue broadcasting after losing its long-standing, subsidized concession from the Swiss Federal Office of Communications. The company announced a new operating concept and a major reduction in staff: of 40 permanent employees, up to 17 will remain while up to 24 may be dismissed; parts of the freelancer pool will also be cut. Gassmann owner Stefan Niedermaier said the decision was difficult but aims to preserve the station as a regional voice, keep its bilingual programming and shift to a more focused schedule with new formats. The concession was awarded to a new channel, Canal B, which is scheduled to start transmission in July. Detailed planning for the revised TeleBielingue program will begin in the coming weeks.
TeleBielingue staff stage funeral march in Bern
Around 20 employees of regional broadcaster TeleBielingue staged a symbolic funeral march around the Bundesplatz in Bern on 26 June 2026 to protest the withdrawal of the station’s concession by the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom). Protesters carried a blue coffin containing cameras, cables and keyboards and said the action targeted Federal Councillor Albert Rösti and his department (UVEK). A Bakom decision, upheld by the Federal Administrative Court earlier in the year, removes about CHF 3.7 million per year in fee shares from TeleBielingue. Canal B is the new concession holder and will start broadcasting on 1 July; TeleBielingue will remain on air with a transition programme and says up to 17 of 50 jobs could be preserved under a TeleBielingue 2.0 project.
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