(23-07-2022, 06:59 AM)Mr Q Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for this update -- I was wondering what was happening with SRF and the move. Does anyone know if there's been any further news as to what has caused all the delays in the move to the main (ground floor) studio? There have been photos available of the set for well over a year now (maybe even two?), but it seems to have been plagued by problems.
Absolutely, there have been lots of problems with the new Mosart automation system running on IP technology, alongside a new cloud-based editing and production platform, MediaCentral and NEXIS, provided by Avid, which have delayed the launch of the new sets; the original plan was for Autumn 2019, but was later postponed to Spring 2020; the pandemic and these continued problems caused the project to be indefinitely postponed, causing SRF to invest millions in attempting to solve these technical issues. However, the newsroom sets have been up and running since last November, with SRF Börse and Schweiz Aktuell already airing from them.
The issues related to the new technology caused more cost-cutting in the broadcaster, including moving the radio newsroom from Bern to the new building (politics and current affairs remain in Bern), changing the news production model to a multi-platform, story-based one (including merging all TV newsrooms and production teams into a single one led by Tagesschau editor Regula Messerli Durisch, who serves as content coordinator) and moving the radio stations from its longtime southern Zurich building to the former garage of the TPC in the campus, converted for the needs of broadcasting (the stations will begin to move on August 10, but Radio SRF 2 remains with the culture department in Basel); however, these moves to centralise all divisions of SRF into the south Zurich facility, in the Leutschenbach district, began after the failed No-Billag initiative to abolish the license fee and the decision by the Federal Council to change, in the aftermath of the former, the licensing provider to a division of an insurance infrastructure company, Serafe AG, which took over as provider in 2019, alongside a new Radio and Television Act narrowly approved in a 2015 referendum, which reduced the cost of the license fee by 15%, alongside a modular payment system for low-income housing; that was the reason of building a new newsroom facility to centralise all SRF news teams; additionally, there were plans for demolishing TPC Studio 1 to build a visitor centre and offices for production and administrative needs, even launching a contest for designs, which was subsequently won by Lugano office Durisch + Nolli; however, the building wasn't finally built due to budget constraints.
Another casualty of the cost-cutting measures was the cancellation of many long-running SRF current affairs programmes, for example, documentary programme Einstein Spezial and business investigative magazine Eco, since rebooted as an interview-focused show, Eco Talk; additionally, the late news and sport programmes, Tagesschau Nacht and SRF sport aktuell, were replaced by shorter, voice-over only flashes, both airing on younger-skewed SRF zwei (and repeated during the night on SRF 1). Coincidentally, SRF News Flash (which replaced Tagesschau Nacht) became another casualty of the cost-cutting measures, with the voice-over reports being replaced by a straight recording of the 10pm SRF radio newscast, augmented with imagery and a news ticker.
Back to the new facility, a fun fact: the new sets were designed by Jürgen Bieling (Billionpoints), who I had already mentioned previously in this thread, and being responsible for doing multiple TV sets in Europe and beyond (mostly in the Middle East and East Asia). Bieling was selected by the architects of the space, local firm Penzel Valier. Bieling also worked with Zurich set designer Rico Chiari to design the custom concrete and steel desks, which were provided by local specialised firm Dade Design; SRF has since asked for new desks for the sets of other programmes, including its sport studios, its Gesichter & Geschichten tabloid magazine show and the aforementioned Eco Talk, thanks to the modularity of the design.
https://www.dade-design.com/dade-design-...fernsehen/
Additionally, if you look closer, the studio also has the Electric Friends tower cameras already in use in Studio B.
https://www.electricfriends.net/news/swi...nouncement