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Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Radio One FM in Geneva, a private station that is one of the city’s most popular, has moved from a state of shock on learning 31 October that its license is not being renewed, to becoming the centre of public attention focused on fighting for its survival. Among those backing its efforts to fight Bern’s decision is the canton of Geneva.

The federal government ended several months of suspense last Friday over which radio stations would keep or receive one of 14 licenses on offer, four of which were for the Lake Geneva region and one for Geneva. The licenses went to:

• Radio Cité for Geneva, a non-commercial station (no ads permitted) that began life as a religious station and that now receives more than CHF1 million a year from Geneva millionaire Viviane de Witt’s Fondation des Chênes, a station perceived as having a community service role
• for the Lake Geneva region: Buzz FM, Lac FM, Lausanne FM, Rouge FM.

Three stations that applied were turned down: Radio Meyrin, which was competing with Radio Cité; One FM, effective April 2009, and Léman Local Radio. The latter was for a station that does not exist, but that was proposed by Geneva-Servette owner Hugh Quennec, and it would have operated in English. Local media have barely mentioned its failed application, focusing on Radio One. The application by Quennec was dismissed drily and in few words, with Bern noting that the station’s only real resources appeared to be a personal guarantee by Quennec but that the application provided virtually no details about this financing.

Geneva has two other English-language stations, World Radio Switzerland, which has a separate license, as part of the public broadcast system, and Radio 74, which operates from St Julien in France.

Buzz FM, granted a license, is not yet on the air.

Seven regional television licenses were also made available.

Bern’s argument in favour of Buzz was that it will provide more news, a key criterion. The decision does not mean One FM must go off the air, but without a license a station does not receive a share of the mandatory license fees paid by consumers, making it extremely difficult to stay afloat financially if the station is ambitious in terms of the number of listeners and complete programming. The canton has 27 FM stations on the air, some Swiss and some foreign, and according to Bern, this is too many to maintain the quality of the airwaves. Bern is installing new transmitters in the region and as part of the project is pushing to esure quality.

The Tribune de Geneve reports that Geneva officials are considering supporting One FM in its appeal to Bern to reconsider and add one more license. During the public consultations on the applications the canton supported commercial Radio One and Radio Cité. Radio One’s popularity led to police officers delivering croissants to the station and taxi drivers sending sympathy messages Monday, reports the Tribune.

Related background story, “Intense commercial love affair with English speakers in Lake Geneva region,” 11 July 2008, GenevaLunch

Federal broadcasting license documents (Fre):

• Radio Cité license award, Geneva license
• Radio licenses awarded, Lake Geneva region (4)