The Bernese Radio and Television Foundation works for quality journalism in electronic media in the cantons of Bern, Fribourg and Valais. It is also committed to good understanding between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. Since 1982, it has awarded prizes for high-quality journalistic work that is in line with its aims.
The prizes are mainly financed by the proceeds of the foundation’s capital. Their total amount is a maximum of 16,000 francs. The jury is composed of the members of the foundation board and other persons.
For both the Radio Prize and the Television Prize, the subjects submitted must deal with themes concerning the cantons of Bern, Fribourg or Valais. The Passerelle Prize rewards journalistic work that has as its theme the multilingualism experienced on a daily basis, respectively the exchange between the linguistic regions in the bilingual cantons of Bern, Fribourg or Valais.
For the second time, the Bernese Foundation is awarding a prize for digital and multimedia formats . Journalistic productions for social media, multimedia narrative subjects, original podcasts (not radio broadcasts) or others may be submitted. For this prize, too, the contributions submitted must have a link to the cantons of Bern, Fribourg or Valais.
Conditions of participation / Formats
Journalistic works published in the years 2023 or 2024 on an editorially independent media platform that meets the above criteria are eligible for the competition. Works published on social media (e.g. Instagram or TikTok) can also be submitted for the digital award, but must also be produced in an editorially independent manner.
Each person or team may only submit one topic. For series of programs, only one contribution must be presented to the jury as a representative element of the entire series.
The broadcasts must be submitted via the web form and in MP3 or MP4 format. Productions for the digital award can be submitted via a working internet link. In addition, the Foundation expects information on the genesis of the topics as well as a brief summary of the content in a maximum of 2000 characters, to be submitted in an attached text file. This document must also mention the date and where the topic was first broadcast.
LINK to the input form DE
LINK to the FR Registration Form
Download the offer as a PDF file :
Deadline for sending broadcasts: January 31, 2025
Award ceremony: In principle in May or June 2025 in Bern. The award recipients will be informed personally in April 2025.
The Bern Radio and Television Foundation hopes that many of you will once again take part in the 2025 competition.