SRG to cut 202 full-time jobs in operations and support, 285 to 289 by 2027
Operations, the largest division, loses 173 posts, and dismissals and early retirements are unavoidable, even though natural attrition covers about half of the personnel measures in these areas.
Operations carries most of the cuts
The Swiss public broadcaster SRG detailed on Thursday, 15 October 2026 the staff reductions it plans for 2027. About 202 full-time positions will go in operations, human resources, finance, communication, public affairs and the central staff, which the company puts at 41 million francs in annual savings. Reports differ slightly on that total, with SRF News citing 41.4 million francs and 20 Minuten citing 41.7 million. Operations, the largest division, bundles technology and production for all language regions and accounts for 173 of those posts and 30.7 million francs a year. The remaining areas cut 29 positions and save 10.7 million francs. Across the group, between 285 and 289 full-time positions are set to disappear by the end of 2027.
- Operations
- 30.7 million francs
- Other areas
- 10.7 million francs
Attrition, dismissals and the regional split
About half of the personnel measures in these areas can be carried out through natural attrition and regular retirements, the company said. Of the 173 operations posts, 79 have already been absorbed by natural changes in staffing, which leaves 94 to cut. Of those 94, 56 are in German-speaking Switzerland, 27 in French-speaking Switzerland and 11 in Italian-speaking Switzerland. The SRG said dismissals and early retirements cannot be avoided, and affected employees will be covered by the company's social plan. Savings are being pursued through a new organisation that groups competences, removes duplicate work and standardises production methods across all language regions.
- German-speaking Switzerland
- 56 positions
- French-speaking Switzerland
- 27 positions
- Italian-speaking Switzerland
- 11 positions
Programmes and broadcast rights
The programme side of the cuts was part of the earlier package for the regional units announced in September. At SRF, the Wednesday evening linear slot of the programme Reporter will not continue and weekly radio shows will have fewer first broadcasts. The SRG-wide programme area saves another 7.4 million francs and cuts 12 full-time posts. From the 2027/2028 season, the SRG will no longer broadcast live UEFA Champions League matches. The company said the measures for 2027 are now fully set.
The savings target and the earlier regional cuts
The overall aim is 80 million francs in annual savings by 2027, and these measures are a large part of it. They form part of the Enavant project, under which the SRG wants to save around 270 million francs by 2029, largely because the licence fee is falling. The federal government requires the broadcaster to achieve those savings by 2029. In mid-September 2026, the regional units announced their own cuts, with RTS saving 8.1 million francs through 25 full-time equivalents, corresponding to 30 posts, and a maximum of twelve dismissals. SRF planned to save 9.7 million francs and cut 38 full-time equivalents, while RSI expected to cut between eight and twelve posts for 3.4 million francs. RTR's measures amount to 100,000 francs in savings.
- Regional unit cuts announced, including 38 full-time posts at SRF and 25 full-time equivalents at RTS
- Operations and support cuts of 202 full-time positions detailed
- Target of 80 million francs in savings and 285 to 289 posts to be gone
- About 270 million francs in savings targeted under the Enavant project
What comes next
The SRG will set the remaining savings for 2028 and 2029 step by step in its coming financial planning rounds. Until then, the published figures cover the 2027 measures only. The 285 to 289 full-time posts that go by the end of 2027 are the company's own count, and the final number of dismissals will depend on how many of the remaining posts are cleared through attrition.