[HCDX] Switzerland for the outside world (will the internet replace shortwave radio)

["Mike Terry" <miketerry73@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

swissinfo  January 2, 2005

Interview with Beat Witschi who became director of swissinfo on January 1,
swissinfo's new director, Beat Witschi, says the internet has the potential
to revolutionise the media and how we access information.

For swissinfo itself, his priorities are to provide more information and
services to the Swiss living abroad, and to better integrate swissinfo's
website into the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation's multimedia operations.

swissinfo: You became director of swissinfo on January 1. How do you see
your role?

Beat Witschi: I helped to create the web platform, swissinfo, which went
online in 1999. Before that we were a shortwave [radio] service.

Now the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) - of which we are a part - is
in the process of defining a multimedia strategy for the entire corporation.

swissinfo must play an important role in that strategy. We have an
additional mandate to provide a service to the Swiss living abroad. And so I
want to be sure that the SBC is aware of our role, and that we can assist
the corporation in developing this strategy.

swissinfo: How prepared are you for your new role?

B.W.: I was fortunate enough to work in multimedia when I worked abroad, and
I am bringing this knowledge to bear in my role at swissinfo/Swiss Radio
International.

I also know swissinfo/Swiss Radio International very well because I worked
here for many years as a radio journalist.

The political authorities and the SBC will ultimately decide whether and in
what form we should continue.

swissinfo: What do you intend to change as director of swissinfo?

B.W.: We will certainly try to do more to integrate swissinfo into the SBC.
To that end, we need to develop both the quality and the content of our
nine-language web platform. We need to expand our platform, and to make it
more attractive and better overall.

We also have to offer more to the Swiss abroad in terms of services, and for
this the internet is an excellent medium.

swissinfo: Do you have any concrete objectives for this year and beyond?

B.W.: The focus over the next 12 months is to improve the website. Two years
ago we upgraded all nine language sites, but there is still work to be done
to make swissinfo more interactive, faster and to expand our content.

The medium term will depend on the SBC, which has to decide to what extent
we should be integrated into the corporation.

swissinfo: You mentioned multimedia strategy. Do you think swissinfo will
still exist in its current form three years from now?

B.W.: The website will certainly still exist. I don't know whether we will
have nine languages, but I hope so. This is largely a decision for the
political authorities.

In my opinion, swissinfo is very well positioned. We are cost- efficient and
flexible, we have a good journalistic product, and we use a medium that is
accessible across the world. In general, I am very optimistic that we will
still be here in a few years' time.

We have to look at Switzerland through the eyes of someone living abroad.

swissinfo: Competition from within the SBC and from private operators is
growing. How is swissinfo positioned against competitors?

B.W.: We are answerable both to the political authorities, who want a
service for the Swiss abroad, and to the SBC, which provides funding for us.
Both will ultimately decide whether and in what form we should continue to
operate.

Ideally swissinfo would complement the SBC's existing multimedia offering.
This is what discussions are focused on at the moment.

We want to offer as much content as possible, but we can't do it all
ourselves because we don't have the resources. So we are focused on finding
creative ways to work together [with the SBC].

swissinfo: What makes swissinfo different from other online media in
Switzerland?

B.W.: We provide perspective from abroad, while the domestic Swiss media
serve primarily a local audience, which means their focus tends to be
regional [ie: on German-, French- or Italian-speaking Switzerland].

We have to offer more - namely a national overview. And our journalists have
to look at Switzerland through the eyes of someone living abroad.

They have to decide which are the most important issues, trends and
developments behind the daily headlines. This is our niche, our strength and
also our mandate.

swissinfo: Last October, swissinfo/SRI ceased all radio broadcasts. Where
does that leave the Swiss living abroad who do not have internet access?

B.W.: Naturally it would be ideal if we could communicate through a range of
media - radio, television, internet and mobile phones. But for financial
reasons, we had to decide which medium worked best for us, and that was the
internet.

The advantage is that we can offer much more content than previously. The
drawback is that not everyone has internet access. I think we made the right
decision under the circumstances. With this medium we can offer the best
service to both Swiss living abroad and also to an international audience.

swissinfo: What are the prospects for the internet as a medium?

B.W.: It's likely that the various media will continue to develop. The
younger generation already expect to be able to access the information they
want through the media they prefer - basically information "on demand". The
internet has enormous potential here, and far more than has been realised
yet.

( swissinfo-interview: Gaby Ochsenbein
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=107&sid=5433067 )




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