A PR Disaster
The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG) has managed to turn a major success into a PR disaster once again. This time, it’s the popular podcast Zivadiliring that has been abruptly shut down.
The podcast, which consistently topped the Swiss charts, sold out live shows, and thrilled fans, has been terminated. The reason? The hosts’ commercial activities allegedly don’t align with the SRG’s “journalistic guidelines”.
SRG’s explanation sounds like a textbook example of poor crisis management. The corporation’s director, Anita Richner, expressed her “sadness” over the podcast’s cancellation, but it’s unclear why the decision was made so suddenly.
The real scandal lies in the SRG’s failure to properly monitor its hosts’ commercial activities, which contradicted their own guidelines. This lack of control is a reflection of the corporation’s amateurish management.
Instead of transparency, the SRG is shifting the blame. The podcasters only learned of the cancellation during their last recording. This is a communication style reminiscent of a mediocre local government, not a institution that receives 1.25 billion francs in fees annually.
The SRG’s decision to discontinue Zivadiliring is puzzling. Podcasts are not rocket science, and anyone can create a format with a microphone and a free app. But the SRG must follow the trend, no matter the cost, on the backs of its fee-paying audience.
In a time when the half-tax initiative is being seriously discussed, the SRG is trying to present itself as a model of thriftiness. The corporation aims to save 270 million francs, and the podcast’s cancellation is part of this effort. The 1.25 billion francs the SRG receives annually make the savings seem like a drop in the bucket.
The new SRG CEO, Susanne Wille, faces a Herculean task in steering the sinking ship. She must address the corporation’s declining credibility, critical youth, and structural problems.
Zivadiliring may not have been the savior, but at least a positive showcase. The drama surrounding its cancellation is a prime example of the SRG’s failures: lack of strategy, poor communication, and overburdened management. The blame-shifting is a further chapter in the SRG’s history of failure. It’s no wonder the half-tax initiative is gaining more support.