Publigroupe: Medium-term withdrawal from Edipresse
The merger of Tamedia and Edipresse will lead to major changes in Publigroupe's business model. This was stated by CEO Hanspeter Rohner in an interview with the daily newspaper Le Temps on Wednesday. The advertising marketer intends to sell its 20 percent stake in Edipresse.
The merger of Tamedia and Edipresse will lead to major changes in Publigroupe's business model. This was stated by CEO Hanspeter Rohner in an interview with the daily newspaper Le Temps on Wednesday. The advertising marketer intends to sell its 20 percent stake in Edipresse.
According to SDA, Rohner explained that this holding no longer had any strategic value. "However, we are not under pressure and can still hold the shares for some time," he continued. According to Rohner, the effects of the current economic crisis are more decisive for the future of Publigroupe. Edipresse and Tamedia are still expected to contribute CHF 300 million to Publigroupe's turnover in the current year. Next year, when Edipresse markets the ads and advertisements itself again, the figure will be CHF 200 million. According to Rohner, Publigroupe is in talks with other newspaper publishers. The Publigroupe subsidiary Publicitas is currently negotiating contracts with the St. Galler Tagblatt and the Neue Luzerner Zeitung. Both are owned by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
The advertising market is currently in decline. Advertising revenues are falling by 20 to 30 percent per month. If this trend continues until 2010, the media will no longer be able to survive in their current structures, explained the Publigroupe boss. However, not all newspapers are equally affected by the crisis. Local newspapers held up better and recorded declining revenues of "only" 3 to 5 percent. In contrast, regional and national newspapers suffered much more.
According to SDA, Rohner explained that this holding no longer had any strategic value. "However, we are not under pressure and can still hold the shares for some time," he continued. According to Rohner, the effects of the current economic crisis are more decisive for the future of Publigroupe. Edipresse and Tamedia are still expected to contribute CHF 300 million to Publigroupe's turnover in the current year. Next year, when Edipresse markets the ads and advertisements itself again, the figure will be CHF 200 million. According to Rohner, Publigroupe is in talks with other newspaper publishers. The Publigroupe subsidiary Publicitas is currently negotiating contracts with the St. Galler Tagblatt and the Neue Luzerner Zeitung. Both are owned by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
The advertising market is currently in decline. Advertising revenues are falling by 20 to 30 percent per month. If this trend continues until 2010, the media will no longer be able to survive in their current structures, explained the Publigroupe boss. However, not all newspapers are equally affected by the crisis. Local newspapers held up better and recorded declining revenues of "only" 3 to 5 percent. In contrast, regional and national newspapers suffered much more.
