Coping with Change: The Reorganization of the Swiss Public Service Broadcaster SRG SSR

Abstract

Public service broadcasters throughout Europe are confronted with changing environments: Economic constraints, political pressures and technological innovation require organizational reform. This paper focuses on the Swiss public service broadcaster SRG SSR and examines how it changed its strategy and organizational structures in response to environmental challenges. In particular, the SRG’s reorganization projects “structural reform” and “convergence and efficiency” are analyzed by performing a qualitative document analysis. In doing so, the paper attaches great importance to the question of how these reforms affect citizen participation. Results indicate that organizational reform at least partially undermined the representation of citizens within the SRG.