The “no to state media” group handed in some 113,000 signatures on Wednesday, more than double the amount needed to force a referendum under the Swiss direct democracy system.
The opponents say the law is unconstitutional and a waste of taxpayer money.
“Medias financed by the state prevents public debate and destroys freedom of expression. It’s poisonous for democracy,” said former Radical Liberal (centre-right) parliamentarian Peter Weigelt, president of the committee.
The law passed in June outlines a range of measures to support independent media, including the subsidising of morning newspaper deliveries and help for online websites. More support will also be provided to journalism schools, as well as the Keystone-SDA agency.
More
More
Switzerland ticks differently with social media laws
This content was published on
Fake news, conspiracy theories, censorship: the reputation of social media seems at an all-time low. Can it ever be a boon for democracy again?
Over the seven-year period agreed by parliament, the total funding would come to around CHF3 billion ($3.23 billion).
On Wednesday, the opponents said a referendum would allow for a wider public debate about the role of media in a democracy and the relationship of media to the state.
The committee is backed by 72 parliamentarians and senators from centre and right-wing parties.
The Federal Chancellery still needs to validate the signatures before announcing a date for the referendum; it will likely be on February 13 next.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.