I’ve started listening to the English-language radio station (WRS) again and find it quite good. The main drawback is that it’s focused on the Geneva region, but it also features plenty of BBC World Service content, which is great. What are your thoughts about WRS?
I was invited to the opening in Geneva - it must be 25 years ago. I said then it was a daft name.
They have tried to break into the Zurich area and shared a DAB station for a while. They are totally Geneva centric and I don’t think they will ever crack the Zurich area, unless they run a separate station.
Although English could be said to be Switzerland’s second language, all media attempts in the German-speaking area - like magazines and radio stations and English-speaking DJs, have failed. But WRS ploughs on!
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WRS is scheduled to go off the air at the end of the year, if the current owners (Mark and Katt) don’t find anyone to take over.
Currently it broadcasts on DAB in Geneva, Vaud and parts of Valais, but its website can be streamed anywhere in the free world.
Well it’s sad to hear the radio might shut down next month. Let’s home they find a new owner.
I wonder what was the roadblock. East Switzerland speaks and consumes Eglish language media much more than West side. Perhaps the WRS was a total junk, and ad driven so… maybe it was still appealing to the English (UK) community concentrating around Geneva, but it’s not really relevant for cosmopolitan Zurich using English as an universal language not giving a f* about the UK
WRG (World Radio Geneva) started in 1996 by partners as diverse as the Local City government, Reuters, the BBC and local investors. It was known for the BBC World News Broadcasts on the hour and ‘drive-time’ commentators.
It was felt that the English Speaking Communities, particularly those working for UN Organisations and NGOs would support the station and advertisers.
To say it was a moneymaker for investors would not be correct but it creaked along losing partners Reuters and BBC fairly quickly and Geneva withdrew their support during a funding crisis.
Mark Butcher was one of the commentators but he too left to pursue a career in “ring-tones”.
WRG broadcast exclusively on FM around the Lac Léman covering Geneva, La Cöte and France Voisine. The station continued supported by advertising until the late naughtiest when the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation decided that an English-language radio station would enhance its international reputation and provide a useful service to the international organisations around Lac Léman and the rest of the country. In 2007 the SBC took over WRG and relaunched it as WRS as a public service broadcaster, available on digital radio across Switzerland.
In 2005, WRG - World Radio Geneva - was awarded ‘Radio Station of the Year’ as part of Swiss Radio Day.
In 2012, WRS was awarded ‘Radio Station of the Year’ as part of Swiss Radio Day. The award is given to one station in the German-speaking, and one in the French and Italian-speaking regions of the country for biggest net listener increase.
In 2013, while still part of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, WRS won five regional [Edward R. Murrow Awards The awards for broadcast journalism were presented for a small-market, international station. Award-winning stories included a series reported from revolutionary Egypt, a newscast after a tragic bus crash in Valais and continuing coverage about Swiss banks,among others.
In the summer of 2013, WRS was awarded ‘Radio Station of the Year’ for the third time and the second year in succession for its percentage increase in listener audience.
In 2014, WRS won three regional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards for work completed before the station was privatised.
- The winning entries include a report on “The Gender Gap” produced at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos;
- a pair of reports about an Alpine river that died after a dam incident;
- and a report about Switzerland’s first stand-alone Hindu temple.
But by 2012 the SBC tired of WRS thinking it no longer fit their needs and announced it would be privatised. There were two bidders including one from Radio Frontier, a DAB+ station broadcasting from FranceVoisine established by Mark Butcher who had moved on from ring-tones. He won and took over WRS. The one thing the SBC didn’t sell was the FM frequency 101.7 because the Swiss government was no longer assigning FM frequencies.
And finally recently Mark decided he wanted to retire and his now co-owner Katt (Catherine) Cullen decided she wanted new challenges and they decided to sell, or close WRS.
WRG/WRS has been an institution in Geneva and neighbouring areas since the ‘90s. It will be sad if it has to go but it is, what it is.
(Some of the above taken from wiki, if you are looking for links World Radio Switzerland - Wikipedia
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Well It appears there is a plan. It involves staying on air for at least another year while seeking donations to fund the transition from Mark and Katt to …
Details are here on their website:
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I’m sorry to say that I don’t see a future for WRS - or any other English-language radio.
English both on radio and in print media has produced a long trail of failure in Switzerland.
There have been 2 DJs on Radio Zürisee - one English, the other American. Both “didn’t have their contracts renewed” after having had a regular daily slot.
I was having a discussion with a presenter from Winterthur’s Radio Top the other evening. Zoe (who speaks perfect British English) concluded that to maximise audiences, stations play the same 50 most popular tracks and all speech is in local dialect - including news and weather.
Considering how cool English is in the German-speaking and that 99% of the music is in English, this is a surprise - and he French-speaking part has less of a love of English…
This is also my experience. English is cool, but not english speaking expats. I am reminded of my parents attitudes to the USA. The music, cars and fridges were great, but as for the amis; “over weight, over paid, over sexed and over here”.
Despite all of the above WRG/WRS has been with us in the Geneva area for 29 years.