Observed Signal · May 18, 2026 · Funding · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Schawinski Urges Aid for Swiss Local Media
Roger Schawinski, founder of Radio 1, warns in a guest essay for the NZZ that Swiss local and regional media face an existential crisis as advertising revenues have collapsed. He says online advertising now yields only about 5% of former print revenues, paywalls have had little effect, free local papers have disappeared and consolidation in radio has thinned offerings. Schawinski calls on cantons, foundations and private patrons to provide targeted support for local media before regional outlets vanish; he notes some western cantons (Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva) already subsidize regional media. As an example, he reports Radio 1 now brings in about CHF 2.4 million annually and that he has not taken a salary as managing director.
Highlights continued collapse of ad revenues and a call for alternative funding for local publishers — relevant to publisher monetization and local ad inventory trends but primarily national/local in scope.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Roger Schawinski published a guest piece in the NZZ calling for support for local and regional Swiss media.
- Online advertising currently brings in roughly 5% of the historical print revenues, according to Schawinski.
- Schawinski urged funding from cantons, foundations and private patrons to support local media.
- He cited western Swiss cantons (Fribourg, Vaud, Geneva) as examples that already fund regional media.
- Schawinski said Radio 1 now generates about CHF 2.4 million per year and that he has never taken a salary as CEO/manager.
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Meier + Cie: Siegrist Urges Media Funding Measures
On 22 August 2026 Nina Siegrist, Chair of the Executive Board at Meier + Cie. AG, published an open appeal asking for cantonal support for the Schaffhausen media market and a one‑off CHF 30,000 Lotteriefonds contribution for Schaffhauser Fernsehen. She backs two motions before the cantonal council — the Lotteriefonds payment and a roundtable of politics, business and media to develop longer‑term measures. Siegrist says the local broadcaster currently survives through ten private supporters covering an annual deficit (~CHF 50,000) and highlights an independent measurement of about 34,000 daily viewers. She attributes the sector crisis to structural change and ad spend shifting to US platforms, notes reliance on the Carl Oechslin Foundation and media funds, and points to a regional proposal to test tax privileges for advertising. A week earlier Marcel Kohler had made similar calls.
Roundtable to Tackle Schaffhausen Media Crisis
The Cantonal Council of Schaffhausen has demanded a round table to address the crisis facing regional media caused by falling advertising revenues and competition from global tech companies. The motion was declared significant by the council with 40 votes for, 7 against and 5 abstentions; it was submitted by Linda De Ventura (SP) and Markus Müller (SVP). The cantonal government said it is willing to engage but is critical of direct cantonal media subsidies because of media independence and competition-law concerns. The executive is open to examining indirect support measures and will present a report to the Cantonal Council outlining possible instruments and, if necessary, proposed legal changes.
Schawinski and Köppel Spark Swiss Media Debate
Two high-profile Swiss media figures — Roger Schawinski and Roger Köppel — dominated recent headlines after separate public interventions. Schawinski wrote a commentary in the NZZ warning of a long-term economic crisis for media and said he had not taken a salary from Radio 1 for the past 18 years. Köppel delivered a contentious speech at the University of Zurich, attended by about 300 people and marked by boos, interruptions and masked protesters, which also drew broad media coverage. The opinion piece argues that despite changes in formats and AI-driven content production, familiar protagonists still drive major headlines and attention in today's media economy. The column was published on persoenlich.com and authored by Matthias Ackeret.
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