We live in an era of rapid evolution. Professions and the world around us are changing daily, forcing society—even outside Switzerland—to continually seek a balance between established expectations and a future yet to be defined. This future evolution promises exciting innovations, but it depends on the decisions we make today. The world of multimedia communications and its audiences are also experiencing this reality.
It is a reality that Susanne Wille, since 2024 Director General of the SRG SSR group, the public service media company of which RSI is the Italian-speaking unit, interprets with a pragmatism inspired by the realpolitik of the present, and directs it towards an evolution that includes all the cultures and multilingual sensibilities of our country, so that not only those who make the programs, but also those who watch them become protagonists.
With a perfect command of the national languages and English, Susanne Wille holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from IMD in Lausanne and a background in digital strategy and change management. For ten years, she worked in the editorial office of "10vor10," a program on SRF similar to "Prima Ora" on sister station RSI. She later served as a political correspondent in Bern for "Rundschau," a program similar to "Falò" on TV Comano.
Since 2016, she has led the digital transformation of the SRF newsroom (German unit), leading the "Quality and Management" project and contributing to "SRF 2024" as a member of the strategy team. She also headed the Culture Department and served as Deputy Director of SRF.
On March 8, 2026, the Swiss people will vote on the popular initiative "200 francs is enough! (SRG Initiative)." "The initiative," reports a press release from the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC), "aims to reduce the household fee to 200 francs per year, exempt all businesses from paying it, and calls for the SRG to limit itself to providing an essential service to the community. The Federal Council and Parliament," continues DETEC, "reject the initiative, which, in their view, goes too far. The counter-proposal approved by the Federal Council also relieves households and businesses. Unlike the initiative, however, it is moderate and allows the SRG to continue providing public service in all linguistic regions." We interviewed Susanne Wille ahead of this important deadline.
How has your journalism career helped you deepen your understanding of audience needs and evolution?
My time as a reporter, host, and political correspondent taught me what really matters to the public and how people receive news. In over twenty years of journalism, I've learned the importance of telling stories in an understandable way and presenting issues so they can be truly shared by the public. My "journalistic heart" is the compass that continues to guide me today in my role as Director General of the SRG. This perspective helps me quickly grasp new topics, describe their essence in an understandable way, and make decisions so that our programs and offerings meet the needs of our audience. "The public is at the center of everything we do"—this is the principle that guides our work.
How can the SSR's public service mandate, enshrined in the Constitution and law as one of its core tasks, be reconciled with the growing fragmentation of information sources and the public's differing expectations?
Switzerland has four linguistic regions, but a single media company that unites them, in the interests of the entire population. The SRG guarantees an equivalent programming offering for Italian-, French-, and German-speaking Switzerland, as well as an appropriate offering for Romansh-speaking Switzerland, respecting the federalism that characterizes our country. We are present on the ground, close to the people, and we tell the story of our country's diverse realities. We not only bring Switzerland to the regions, but also give the regions a voice throughout Switzerland. This regional and linguistic bridge represents the true added value of public service. Independent, high-quality journalism is essential for Switzerland, supported by both the SRG and private media companies, which together contribute to the diversity of information sources and the free formation of opinions.
People continue to watch television and listen to the radio, but digital broadcasting is taking on an increasingly central role: even at RSI, the news is watched on a delayed basis, podcasts are listened to, and news is followed on social media.
Precisely for this reason, in the face of fake news, growing polarization, and the dominance of international platforms in the digital space, the SSR, with its Swiss news content, offers a verifiable reference point and contributes to dialogue between audiences in the various regions of our country.
We see ourselves as a forum for dialogue and opinion-forming – in all cantons and linguistic regions, in cities and remote locations. SRG also stands for independent Swiss journalism, where our reporting is presented from a Swiss perspective. Bearing witness to the richness of Switzerland's cultural diversity is a fundamental pillar of our democracy and our national unity. If this pillar were weakened, it would leave room for divisive tendencies.
Looking to the future of public broadcasting in Switzerland, what overall vision do you think will guide the SSR's development in the coming years, regardless of the outcome of the vote? Is it possible to address the global challenges facing our country without a modern media system that adequately reflects the diversity of views present in society?
Independent, high-quality, and as diverse as possible journalism—thanks to the SRG and private media—is essential for our country. The head of the Federal Department of Defense, Martin Pfister, recently stated: "Whoever weakens information and the media, weakens a country's security. For solid information, Switzerland needs strong private media and a strong SRG. A country's security relies not only on the army, police, and authorities, but also on informed citizens." I fully agree with these words. It must be clear that any future reduction in the SRG's financial resources would have consequences for the entire Swiss media landscape. The "200 francs are enough!" initiative would deprive the Swiss media system of 800 million francs. This would be the end of the SRG as we know it. The presence of correspondents throughout Switzerland, close to the population, would no longer be guaranteed, nor would that of the 17 regional studios. Our audience would lose regionalized, quadrilingual news, which embodies diversity, cohesion, and independence. This cannot be a vision for the future of the Swiss media landscape. The SRG, private media, and politicians share the responsibility of caring for the Swiss media space and, with it, of ensuring the foundations of a healthy democracy., with informed citizens.
To this end, the SSR will continue to accompany and bring people from all linguistic regions closer together in their daily lives.: with its radio broadcasts, its television programs and its online content."
