Swiss Broadcaster SRF Apologizes For Adding Fake Crowd Noise To Zurich Derby Broadcast

Swiss broadcaster SRF "has apologised for adding fake crowd noise" to try to liven up its coverage of Sunday's Zurich derby, which "kicked off in a near-deserted stadium," according to REUTERS. Viewers of the edited highlights "were baffled to hear chanting" at the start of the Grasshoppers vs. FC Zurich game even though pictures showed that few spectators were present in the Letzigrund stadium for kickoff "due to a protest by fans." SRF said, "In order to make the report as attractive as possible, the chants of the fans were subsequently edited into highlights of the game. The decision was taken under great time pressure. It was wrong, we apologise for it" (GUARDIAN, 5/15).