CHI Geneva Voices Concern Over Proposed Anti-SSR Initiative
As Switzerland prepares for the March 8 referendum, the organisers of CHI Geneva have publicly opposed the Anti-SSR Initiative, arguing that its passage could have far-reaching consequences for sport across the country. According to the CHI Geneva team, a significant cut to the funding of the Swiss public broadcaster (SSR) would weaken sport’s visibility, diminish sponsorship opportunities, and reduce audience reach, outcomes they warn would harm the development of young talent and the diversity of Swiss sport.
In December, a coalition including Swiss Top Sport, Swiss Olympic and various national federations and event organisers, among them CHI Geneva, formed a sports committee to campaign against the initiative. This effort has attracted support from some of Switzerland’s most prominent athletes, including Olympic alpine skiing champions and high-profile figures from national football and equestrian communities. Representatives such as Vice World Champion and European show jumping champion Martin Fuchs, the President of CSIO St. Gallen Nayla Stössel, and Swiss Equestrian CEO Michel Sorg are among those emphasising the importance of broad public access to sport.
The SSR currently provides around 9,000 hours of live sports coverage each year across TV, streaming and radio, showcasing about thirty different disciplines. Its programming embraces both top-tier events, from world cycling tours and ice hockey championships to major equestrian competitions like CHI Geneva and the World Cup Finals, as well as sports that typically receive limited media attention. This extensive coverage, uniformly available across Switzerland’s linguistic regions, is cited as a unique and valuable service in Europe.
Supporters of CHI Geneva’s position argue that reducing the SSR’s remit would ultimately shift the broadcast of major events, including global football, tennis and Olympic competition, behind paywalls, making them less accessible to the public and diminishing the presence of Swiss athletes on screens nationwide. They say this would erode the shared experiences that unite communities and elevate national sporting achievement.
Read more about the importance of linear coverage of equestrian sport on the EQuerry website.
