Swiss public broadcaster SRG will relocate the second TV channel of RSI, its affiliate for Italian-speaking Switzerland, to the internet in early 2020.
This decision was made by the administrative council at the request of SRG’s management board.
The new OTT service Web LA 2 which will replace broadcast TV channel RSI LA 2 will be available on mobile devices, the internet and smart TV sets.
RSI has considerably less funds than SRF serving German-speaking Switzerland and RTS in French-speaking Switzerland, according to SRG. For RSI, the operation of two TV channels has been demanding and a digital alternative to the second channel constitutes a promising prospect, explains SRG.
The move is, however, a specific measure in Italian-speaking Switzerland and does not act as a pioneer project for the other parts of the country, stresses SRG, adding that the broadcaster optimises its offer in accordance with the characteristics of each region.
Web LA 2 will complement RSI LA 1 which remains a conventional broadcast TV channel and, despite its limited funds, will provide a more comprehensive offer than today, according to SRG.
