A television viewer had complained that the decoration of the studio during the interview with the tennis player was in the blue tone of Federer’s new shoe “The Roger”. “Where is the line between public service and self-interest,” the viewer wrote, as the ombudsman announced in its final report on Tuesday.
The editorial staff in charge emphasized the “extraordinary situation of the interview” in their statement. Because the talk with Federer and the triathlete Nicola Spirig had to take place in the same studio and right next to the already permanently installed decor of the shoe brand for reasons of time.
The crew tried not to show the shoes on display and the decorative parts with branding in the picture, if possible. Unfortunately, it was only after the interview that it turned out that it had not been possible to hide the details of the shoe.
The subsequent pixelation of the logo was also not considered enough. Nevertheless, the Redaass stated that no agreements had been made between SRF and Federer and no cash flows had taken place.
In their opinion, the ombudspersons recognize the “special circumstances” of the shoot. But according to the law, the overall impression is decisive. And this was “strongly influenced” by the company logo. The explanations given by the editorial team could not have justified “disregarding the legal requirements”.
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