Facts
On July 1, 2009, Swiss Television DRS aired the report "FDP and the Pharmaceutical Lobby" in the news magazine "10 vor 10". The topic of the report was the thesis that the FDP (Free Democratic Party) was "in cahoots" with the pharmaceutical lobby. The assumption was illustrated by personnel changes between the FDP's general secretariat and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as based on parliamentary visitor cards.
The "FDP.The Liberals" then turned to the Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (UBI), which upheld the complaint with the casting vote of the President on February 19, 2010, and found that the contribution had violated the principle of objectivity. However, the Federal Supreme Court upheld the SRG's (Swiss Broadcasting Corporation) appeal against this decision and found that the controversial report did not violate the principle of objectivity.
Considerations
The Federal Supreme Court stated that the composition of the UBI met the requirements of a fair trial and the constitutional judge. The casting vote of the President in the event of a tie was a permissible systemic necessity.
Regarding the objectivity of the report, the Federal Supreme Court held that editorial broadcasts must present facts and events objectively so that the public can form its own opinion. The report was allowed to adopt the thesis of "collusion", but had to maintain…