Roger Schawinski created the show that is still currently the most successful program on Swiss television: the consumer journal "Kassensturz" ("Cash Check"). In 1979 he revolutionized the Swiss media landscape by creating Radio 24, the first private radio broadcasting station that was a pirate broadcast from the peak of the Italian Pizzo Groppera mountain which was sent over to Switzerland. Sometime later, he founded TeleZüri , the first regional Swiss television broadcasting station which was then followed by Tele24 on a national level.

From 2003 to 2006 he was the Managing Director of the German private television broadcaster Sat.1. In 2007, Roger Schawinski bought the local radio station, Tropic, converted it into a radio for adults and assumed the responsibilities for both the management as well as the program direction. The brand new Radio 1 started broadcasting on March 17, 2008.