The propaganda war on the Canon rages beyond all limits of reason. Fully fed also by our leading cantonal newspaper, with dozens of letters and opinions (almost all against the initiative). And repeated, pounding editorials from the Director.
The general climate, as the lawyer Ghiggia well observed, is one of vehement exasperation. The Dinosaur he has a residual strength that does not abandon him. But… will the country’s fate really depend on the survival of this 250 million caste? Hysteria is spreading: some believe it and many line up (you never know). Our thoughts turn to the city of Salem where, at the height of a fit of collective madness, in the year 1692 many women were hanged as witches. The executioners also hanged a dog, judging it to be “possessed”.
* * *
from today’s Corriere del Ticino
“(…) Another sore point is the mix between political power and media power. It is hoped that the press in general, and therefore also RTV, acts as a factor in controlling political power in the interest of the community. Therefore the dependence, as is the case of the SSR, on politics, which in turn submits to the pressures of concerted circles, corporate interests, the economy and its elite, is fatally conflicting with one of its fundamental missions. The question now is: should the State not be interested in the survival and functioning of the radio and television service? Shouldn’t he worry about national cohesion? Shouldn’t you ensure that everyone has access to timely, quality information, be it political, news, cultural, economic or sporting? Shouldn’t it contribute to keeping the Swiss presence alive beyond national borders? Far from it. It is his duty to do so, but not by imposing a fee television, which ultimately fuels a caste out of proportion. If what is written in these columns by Tito Tettamanti (12.01.17) is true, i.e. that the average salary of all SSR employees amounts to 107,000 francs, even above the average of the financial centre, one should truly be astonished.”
Giovanni Casella, former director of Gazzetta Ticinese
