Don't go to Switzerland

They are medicaments, glycosides and vaccines, watches, orthopaedic appliances and precious Jewellery .

These are technical terms so "medicaments" are the things used to make medicines.

While in general a strong currency is good, Swiss francs have soared more than any other currency in the world. Until recently it was all baccked by gold. It isn't any longer, but their supply of gold per capita is the highest in the world.

While 30 years ago the exchange rate was 2.5 francs per US dollar, it was one france = $1.40 a few years ago. they were balancing at 1.2 Swiss francs per Euro which kept it under a dolla, but now it is as $1.05 and fluctuating.

A bundle of 1000 CHF banknotes (worth 888 Euros apiece) is a wonderful thing to own.

EDIT: Has just jumped up to 1000 Euros per banknotes. Swiss Franc has just reached parity with the Euro.

I am not absolutely sure why a country of only 8 million people needs to put their currency on the free market. It seems like they should just peg it at parity to the Euro.

Airwaves are of course free. My computer on its wireless network are transmitting signals to the world at 2.4 GHZ. My phone is likely broadcasting out at 1.7 ghz. We receive radio in two band: between 530 and 1710 KhZ and between 87 and 108.1 MHZ.

But go ahead and try putting out your own broadcast on the AM or FM frequency? No, you can't. You have to have a license. it may be "free" to do so, but it is illegal to do so and you are subject to heavy fines or licensing fees if you want to continue using the bandwidth.

Even on the AM band, radio frequencies are clearly organized into "Clear'", Regional, and local frequencies. High power radio station such as your WFAN (used to be WNBC) at 660, WABC at 770 an WCBS at 880 all out of NYC and listenable to at night all over the Eastern Seaboard got the airwaves in their region all to themselves, while there were all kind of low power stations got bands such as anything above 1130AM. Stations have to go through a arduous licensing process to put up an antannae or to even change its broadcast profile (Direction, power, etc). And pay. So, it's not free.

Our market here in the USA is that TV operators can broadcast over the airwaves on a limited number of frequencies. Back when TV started, it was 12 frequencies, and then expanded to UHF (channels 14-89) and then HD signals. But they paid a very high fee to do so based on market size and power and even the channel number itself. And you couldn't have a channel 2 next to a channel 3 in the same city due to interference. For that fee, they pay for the fee through advertising, which broadcasts ads into our home. We watch "for free" but the advertisers are paying.

In the UK, their broadcast TV is mostly commercial free and their marketing is much different. The consumer pays for the TV signal.

Quote: Pacomartin

I am not absolutely sure why a country of only 8 million people needs to put their currency on the free market. It seems like they should just peg it at parity to the Euro.

A few reasons. One, the Swiss are independent and do not get into treaties generally speaking. They smartly stayed out of the UN until 2002. A second is that there is no benefit to tying to the Euro.

But the final reason is, "because they can." Right now the average Swiss can buy a house in the Euro zone for what it costs to gas up a car. (joke) Why tie a strong and stable currency to a weak one destined to fail?

Quote: AZDuffman

A few reasons. One, the Swiss are independent and do not get into treaties generally speaking.
But the final reason is, "because they can." Right now the average Swiss can buy a house in the Euro zone for what it costs to gas up a car. (joke) Why tie a strong and stable currency to a weak one destined to fail?

I am not suggesting a treaty. Nor am I suggest that they join the eurozone.

But for all the wonderful things a strong currency buys you as a consumer, you don't want to destroy your industrial base. The SNB had been maintaining a minimum level of 1.20 francs to the euro since September 2011. The SNB’s balance sheet was going crazy has it had to print francs out the wazoo and buy up billions of euros to maintain the peg. Its foreign currency hoard to the equivalent of a record 495 billion Swiss francs as of late 2014. They can't do that forever.

If they declare parity, they can release some of that euro currency to circulate within the country. Shopkeepers can give back change to tourists in Euros.

Quote: boymimbo

In the UK, their broadcast TV is mostly commercial free and their marketing is much different. The consumer pays for the TV signal.

The problem in the UK, and the injustice of it, as well as in other countries with similar systems, is that the fee is collected per TV, regardless of whether or not you watch broadcast TV.

As a side note as 5 Swiss francs is now worth 675 Japanese Yen, the Swiss now have the largest value non precious coin in circulation. It is worth the same as the 5 euro banknote. The coin is worth £3.80 or $5.79 .

Quote: Pacomartin

I am not suggesting a treaty. Nor am I suggest that they join the eurozone.

But for all the wonderful things a strong currency buys you as a consumer, you don't want to destroy your industrial base. The SNB had been maintaining a minimum level of 1.20 francs to the euro since September 2011. The SNB’s balance sheet was going crazy has it had to print francs out the wazoo and buy up billions of euros to maintain the peg. Its foreign currency hoard to the equivalent of a record 495 billion Swiss francs as of late 2014. They can't do that forever.

Weak currency helps you short-term but it is a losers game.

Quote: Nareed

The problem in the UK, and the injustice of it, as well as in other countries with similar systems, is that the fee is collected per TV, regardless of whether or not you watch broadcast TV.

The viability of broadcast networks were also considered in civil defense (communication) so considered a necessity. I think that is part of the original idea, though I don't know if it is as necessary today.

Today, you might actually find people with no radio in the house. That would have been primary communication network at one time. I think it's more likely someone would have a cheap over the air tv than radio today.