On behalf of AZ Regionalfernsehen AG, Swiss Economics has examined the influence of the awarding of regional television broadcasting licenses to Tele M1 and TeleBärn on the program and opinion diversity in the respective broadcasting regions. From an economic point of view, it becomes clear that this question cannot be reduced solely to the criterion of structural independence or the affiliation of a TV station to a media group: concentrated media markets can also produce a diverse offering. In addition, a small-scale, atomistic media offering often cannot make a relevant contribution to public service, as this requires a certain level of acceptance and breadth.

The expert opinion was enclosed with the AZ Regionalfernsehen AG's licence applications to the Federal Office of Communications.

Click here for the news article about the success of the project.

Methods

• Literature review
• Application of economic theories to the media market
• Calculation of market shares