784.40

English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.

Federal Act
on Radio and Television

(RTVA)

of 24 March 2006 (status as of 1 February 2010)

The Federal Assembly of the Swiss Confederation,

having regard to Articles 71, 92 and 93 of the Federal Constitution (FC)¹, and having regard to the Federal Council Dispatch of 18 December 2002²,

decrees:

Title 1: Scope and Definitions

Art. 1 Scope

Art. 2 Definitions

Title 2: Broadcasting of Swiss Programme Services

Chapter 1: General Provisions

Chapter 2: Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR)

Section 1: Programme Service Mandate and Licence

Art. 23 Principle

Art. 24 Programme service mandate

Art. 25 Licence

Section 2: Editorial Offering

Art. 26 Restrictions of the regional offering

Art. 27 Programme production

Art. 28 Editorial offering for foreign countries

Section 3: Unlicensed Activities

Art. 29

Section 4: Broadcasting of SRG SSR Programme Services

Art. 30

Section 5: Organisation and Finance

Art. 31 Organisation of the SRG SSR

Art. 32 Management bodies

Art. 33 Board of Directors

Art. 34 Finance

Art. 35 Use of financial resources

Art. 36 Financial supervision

Art. 37 Holdings in other broadcasting companies

Chapter 3: Other Broadcasters with a Mandate

Section 1: Licences with a Mandate and Fee-Splitting

Art. 38 Principle

Art. 39 Coverage areas

Art. 40 Share of fees

Art. 41 Obligations of broadcasters with fee-splitting licences

Art. 42 Financial supervision

Section 2: Licence with Mandate and without Fee-Splitting

Art. 43

Section 3: Licensing Regulations

Art. 44 General licence requirements

Art. 45 Licensing procedure

Art. 46 Term and expiry of licences

Art. 47 Fulfilment of the performance mandate

Art. 48 Transfer of the licence

Art. 49 Amendment of the licence

Art. 50 Restriction, suspension and withdrawal of the licence

Title 3: Transmission and Technical Processing of Programme Services

Chapter 1: General Rules

Art. 51 Principle

Art. 52 Restrictions

Chapter 2: Wireless Terrestrial Broadcasting of Programme Services

Art. 53 Access-entitled programme services

Art. 54 Frequencies for programme services

Art. 55 Broadcasting obligation and broadcasting conditions

Art. 56 Procedures for agreement and decision making

Art. 57 Support for the broadcasting of radio programme services

Art. 58 Investment contributions for new technologies

Chapter 3: Broadcasting by Wire

Art. 59 Access-entitled and foreign programme services

Art. 60 Other broadcasting obligations

Art. 61 Transmission by wire of other programme services

Art. 62 Channel occupancy

Chapter 4: Technical Processing of Programme Services

Art. 63 Principles

Art. 64 Open interfaces and technical configuration

Art. 65 Unbundling

Title 4: Reception of Programme Services

Chapter 1: Freedom of Reception

Art. 66 Free programme service reception

Art. 67 Cantonal bans on antennas

Chapter 2: Reception Fees

Art. 68 Obligation to pay fees and to notify

Art. 69 Fee collection agency

Art. 70 Amount of the reception fee

Art. 71 Fees for wireless terrestrial reception

Title 5: Measures to Safeguard Diversity and promote Programme Service Quality

Chapter 1: Ensuring Access to Public Events

Art. 72 Short reporting right with regard to public events

Art. 73 Free access to events of major importance to society

Chapter 2: Measures against Media Concentration

Art. 74 Risks to diversity of opinion and offerings

Art. 75 Measures

Chapter 3: Training and Professional Development of Programme Producers

Art. 76

Chapter 4: Research

Section 1: Media Research

Art. 77

Section 2: Foundation for Audience Research

Art. 78 Function

Art. 79 Data reporting and delivery

Art. 80 Organisation

Art. 81 Finance contribution

Title 6: Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television

Art. 82 Composition

Art. 83 Functions

Art. 84 Independence

Art. 85 Organisation

Title 7: Supervision and Legal Remedies

Chapter 1: General Supervision

Section 1: Procedures

Art. 86 Principles

Art. 87 Information for the public

Art. 88 Data protection

Section 2: Measures in the event of Infringements

Art. 89 General

Art. 90 Administrative penalties

Chapter 2: Supervision of the Content of Editorial Programmes

Section 1: Report Procedure of the Ombudsman Service

Art. 91 Ombudsman services

Art. 92 Reports

Art. 93 Procedure

Section 2: Complaints Procedure of the Complaints Authority

Art. 94 Entitlement to make a complaint

Art. 95 Time limit and form of the complaint

Art. 96 Consideration of the complaint and correspondence

Art. 97 Decision

Art. 98 Costs

Chapter 3: Legal Remedies

Art. 99

Title 8: Administrative Fees

Art. 100

Title 9: Criminal Provisions

Art. 101 Offences

Art. 102 Jurisdiction and procedures

Title 10: Final Provisions

Chapter 1: Implementation, Repeal and Amendment of existing Legislation

Art. 103 Implementation

Art. 104 International agreements and representation on international bodies

Art. 105 Repeal and amendment of existing legislation

Art. 106 Coordination with the Amendment of 24 March 2006 of the Telecommunications Act of 30 April 1997 and with the Amendment of 24 March 2006 of the Federal Supreme Court Act of 17 June 2005

Chapter 2: Transitional Provisions

Art. 107 Radio and television licences

Art. 108 Transmitter network plan

Art. 109 Contributions from reception fees

Art. 110 Licences for retransmission by wire

Art. 111 Relay licences

Art. 112 Organisational structure of the SRG SSR

Art. 113 Pending supervisory procedures

Art. 114 Referendum and commencement

Commencement date: 1 April 2007³

Annex
- Repeal and Amendment of existing Legislation
- 1. Federal Act of 20 December 1968 on Administrative Procedure
- 2. Telecommunications Act of 30 April 1997
- 3. Federal Act of 17 June 2005 on the Federal Supreme Court

AS 2007 737

¹ SR 101
² BBl 2003 1569
³ BRB of 9 March 2007 (AS 2007 781)