Swansong for the voice of Switzerland
Swiss Radio International is to cease all radio broadcasts at the end of October, and will thereafter concentrate exclusively on its internet platform, www.swissinfo.org.
Starting August 1, a special series of radio programmes will look back at key events that have shaped SRI and Switzerland over the past seven decades.
SRI ended its news and current affairs programmes in April, but broadcasts are continuing on shortwave and satellite until the end of October (see schedules and frequencies under “related sites”).
During our last 12 weeks on air, we will be broadcasting a special half-hour programme each week to recall highlights since SRI first hit the airwaves in 1935.
In the week starting August 1, listeners can hear how SRI evolved from the Swiss Shortwave Service – which went on air for the first time on August 1, 1935 – into swissinfo, which went online in 1999.
Assignment Switzerland
Other programmes in the “Assignment Switzerland” series will profile personalities who shaped the country, the four Swiss cultures and the Swiss living abroad.
We’ll also be looking back at key events in politics, science and technology, and the arts, and finding out what outsiders think of Switzerland.
The final programme in the series will look at how Swiss views of their own country have changed over the past half-century.
We do hope you will tune in to remember SRI’s nearly 70 years on air. You will also be able to listen to the programmes online each week by clicking on our multimedia section.
A sneak preview of the first programme in the series is included in “related items” (above).
swissinfo
The last programmes:
From steam radio to swissinfo
Nation builders: myths and reality
The peoples of Switzerland
The fifth Swiss (living abroad)
The hub of Europe
Expats and exiles
The adventurous Swiss
Musicians
Writers and artists
Tourism
Industry, science and technology
The future: Where to now, William Tell?
SRI started broadcasting in 1935 with a programme aimed at Swiss living elsewhere in Europe. Programmes in English began in 1941.
During the Second World War and throughout the Cold War the station developed a name for itself as a neutral voice of news and current affairs.
In 1999 swissinfo/SRI started to develop an online multimedia platform, www.swissinfo.org.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.