Commisioning Editor @ RSI
Company profile: Switzerland, with its four cultural and linguistic regions and its population of 8 million people, could not benefit of equivalent media content within its territory – in terms of number and quality – without the public service mandate entrusted to the Swiss television company SRG SSR. A mandate that was made possible by the cooperation between the majority and minority party, that is one of the pillars of Swiss federalism.
The RSI – Swiss Italian radio-television company – has its headquarters in Lugano (Canton of Ticino) and is the branch of the SRG SSR company devoted to the production and distribution of television programmes directed at the Italian-speaking part of the Swiss population. Its programmes are aimed at the inhabitants of the Italian-speaking areas of Switzerland (Canton of Ticino and Italian Grigioni) and at the Italian speakers who live in the northern area of the Alps: an audience of approximately 1 million people. Several radio listeners and TV viewers are able to follow the RSI programming from the border, in the provinces of Varese, Como and Verbania-Cusio-Ossola.
The RSI offer includes two TV channels, three radio stations and very intense multimedia activity.
There are three radio stations: Rete Uno, devoted to current events, entertainment and newscast; Rete Due, the cultural channel where in-depth shows on selected topics are offered; Rete Tre, the channel devoted to the entertainment of its younger audience. RSI programmes are broadcasted in DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) with CD quality sound, without interferences and a single frequency channel (info at: dab-radiodigitale.ch).
RSI radio stations have always been very popular amongst the Italian-speaking Swiss audience, with its market share rising well above 60%. However, RSI stations are also frequently listened to in San Gottardo and in the Romansch-speaking part of Switzerland, where Rete Uno is transmitted in FM and DAB, and all the three stations can be listened to by cable. Along with the “classic” radio audience, who prefer to listen to RSI programmes via domestic or car radios, the number of cyber-listeners is also increasing, thanks to the presence of RSI radio stations on the internet, both in streaming and on-demand platforms.
RSI has two TV channels: LA 1, the general television channel, which offers a wide range of news programmes, TV dramas, entertainment shows and high-quality documentaries, and LA 2, the RSI ever-changing channel devoted to sport shows, period dramas, documentaries and kids shows. Despite the competition of over 60 Italian-speaking channels which can be watched in Switzerland, the RSI channels register a market share of 38%.
The entire SRG SSR television and radio offer is broadcast by satellite and by digital terrestrial platform (DVB-T), ensuring the high quality of both the audio and video. The “red button” on the television allows the audience to access the Swiss Smart TV programmes, like special show insights and a wide offer of reruns of old shows.
Due to the national copyright legislation, all the television programmes broadcast by satellite are encrypted. In order to decrypt them the smart-card Sat Access is needed, which is given exclusively to Swiss residents and Swiss citizens living aboard. All the radio stations, on the other hand, are broadcast by satellite on an open frequency.
The RSI also offers a wide range of multimedia products. Its pillars are the RSI.ch web site and a number of mobile applications like the RSI.ch mobile, the RSI News and the RSI Sport App. RSI is also widely active on different social media platforms.
Job description: I am a producer for the Culture Department, and I am responsible for the acquisition of documentaries, as well as the production of documentaries for the Pact de l’audiovisuel.
Section profile: I am responsible for the production of historical documentaries (“Il filo della storia”), art documentaries (“Portraits”) and Swiss co-productions (“Cine Tell”).
Topics: We broadcast a wide range of documentaries. My team is currently working on society documentaries and auteur documentaries (LA2Doc, 90′), environmental documentaries (“Il nostro ambiente”), nature and wildlife documentaries (“Natura viva”), travel documentaries (“Casella estiva”) and others devoted to history, politics and art.
Main tasks, acquisitions, pre-acquisitions and co-productions: Yes, all of those activities.
Latest production and co-production titles: Our latest co-productions include: “Il senso della bellezza” by Valerio Jalongo, “L’altra metà del cielo” by Patrik Soergel, “Pescatori di corpi” by Michele Pennetta, “La guerra che ci resta” by Paolo Barbieri and Riccardo Russo, “Smokinga” by Michele Fornasero, and “A Omega non si beve più caffè” by Erik Bernasconi and Matteo Servergnini.
What am I looking for at MIA DOC: I am looking for good projects (purchase, pre-purchase or maybe minority co-production).
