Tamedia takes over Edipresse: Reactions from the media and politics
The mega-merger between Tamedia and Edipresse has sparked reactions across Switzerland in both the media and political circles. Federal Councilor Leuenberger hopes the merger will benefit the media landscape. The political parties, however, are skeptical; media unions are voicing strong criticism; and Ringier remains unconcerned.
Federal Councillor Leuenberger: Media landscape should benefit from merger
Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger appeals to Tamedia to assume its responsibilities. A takeover in the media industry always involves the risk of losing diversity. The Zurich publishing house therefore has a responsibility. In a written statement on Tuesday, Leuenberger called on Tamedia not to compromise on journalistic quality.
The head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) also wants Tamedia to maintain the different media cultures of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. The merger also opens up opportunities: Tamedia's size gives it the means to improve the further training of journalists and to send its own correspondents abroad. Only if this potential is utilized can the Swiss media landscape benefit from the merger.
Tages-Anzeiger editorial team: Completely surprised
The takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia came as a complete surprise to the editorial team of the Tages-Anzeiger (TA). Even according to rumors, such a step had never been an issue, said Ignaz Staub, representative of the TA personnel commission, when asked. The TA personnel committee had therefore not even had time to discuss the takeover. Such a merger had never been brought up before (today's) Tuesday.
The question now arises as to what this step means for TA, Staub continued. In a negative scenario, the former Tamedia flagship could become just one of many newspapers. Conversely, it is also conceivable that Tamedia would want to establish itself with one flagship in French-speaking Switzerland and one in German-speaking Switzerland after the merger. This would then be TA and Le Temps in French-speaking Switzerland.
Ringier: De facto nothing changes
Tamedia's competitor Ringier did not wish to comment further on the takeover of Edipresse on Tuesday. Group spokesman Marco Castellaneta explained that de facto nothing would change for Ringier for the time being. Almost the same titles and the same other media are on the market as before, said Castellaneta. Ringier is therefore taking note of the merger, but will refrain from commenting.
NZZ: "Drumbeat", but no cause for concern
Albert P. Stäheli, Managing Director of AG für die Neue Zürcher Zeitung, is not worried about the takeover of Edipresse. The NZZ Group will become an even more important cooperation partner for Swiss-German newspaper publishers as a result, he said on request. Nevertheless, Stäheli speaks of a "drumbeat" in the media landscape. In particular, he could imagine that the takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia would trigger sensitivities in French-speaking Switzerland, and that it would be the first time that a national newspaper company had been created in the daily press sector. This is an important step in journalistic terms.
FDP: Independence of the Swiss press increasingly under threat
The parties react skeptically to the takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia.
They complain about an increasing loss of media diversity in Switzerland. The FDP, CVP and SP also expect the Competition Commission to scrutinize the takeover. "The merger will create a very large group", FDP President Fulvio Pelli told the news agency SDA on Tuesday.
Although he cannot anticipate the decision of the Competition Commission (COMCO), he believes that the independence of the Swiss press is increasingly under threat as a result. Cartels and monopolies are bad for Switzerland. He therefore expects a "thorough investigation" into the merger.
SP: Appeal to Tamedia not to merge editorial offices
For SP President Christian Levrat, the takeover is "a major step in the concentration of the Swiss media". COMCO must therefore review the deal. Approval is anything but certain. "Tamedia is slowly dominating the Swiss newspaper market", Levrat told the news agency SDA.
If the deal goes through, Levrat hopes that there will be no redundancies. He also appeals to Tamedia not to merge editorial teams. The media market in French-speaking Switzerland works differently to that in German-speaking Switzerland. A merger would therefore be tantamount to scoring an own goal, said Levrat.
CVP: Concentration on Zurich
CVP President Christophe Darbellay is also eagerly awaiting the competition authority's decision. He also fears for media diversity. The three major publishing houses are now all based in Zurich. This is particularly regrettable for French-speaking Switzerland, he said. The Valais native rejects increased state involvement in the Swiss press. "The state must remain subsidiary," he said. Above all, the state must endeavor to guarantee competition.
SVP: Critical journalism suffers
SVP President Toni Brunner also does not see the state as having a duty. Politics cannot stop developments on the market. Nevertheless, he regrets the concentration in the media industry. "Critical journalism is suffering in this uniform mash," said Brunner. "Journalism that is sympathetic to the Federal Council and loyal to the majority will continue to grow," Brunner said with conviction.
Imprint: Media diversity put to the test
The media unions are concerned about the announced takeover of Edipresse in French-speaking Switzerland by Zurich-based Tamedia. They are calling for the collective labor agreement (CLA) in force in French-speaking Switzerland to be respected. The Impressum union is particularly concerned about the announced merger of the two French-speaking commuter newspapers Le Matin bleu and 20 Minutes. Before jobs are cut here, the employees have the right to be involved according to the CLA, said Impressum Managing Director Urs Thalmann on request.
However, possible job losses are only one of Thalmann's concerns. Once again, media diversity is being put to the test - to an unprecedented extent. Thalmann expects the Tamedia Group to do justice to the social partnership. In contrast to Edipresse, the Zurich publishing house has recently made no effort to do so at either association or company level.
Comedia: Unhealthy monopoly
The media union Comedia rejects the takeover outright. The resulting
A media and print monopoly is unhealthy, said Co-President Roland Kreuzer on request. Comedia will seek talks with Tamedia and Edipresse. A recommendation will be made to the Competition Commission and the Federal Council to reject the merger. It is also unacceptable for such a monopolistic group to be subsidized by radio and TV fees. From a regional political perspective, Kreuzer is also concerned about the takeover: it would create a group that would exert influence from Zurich into French-speaking Switzerland.
Politicians from French-speaking Switzerland: independence of the French-speaking press under threat
The takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia is causing concern among politicians in French-speaking Switzerland. They see the independence of the French-speaking press under threat. The takeover undoubtedly represents a potential risk for an independent press in French-speaking Switzerland, said Lausanne Mayor Daniel Brélaz when asked. Zurich could soon come to the conclusion that there are too many newspapers on the small French-speaking Swiss market.
If the new media group then makes agreements with the French publisher Hersant, there will be even less space for other media. There is therefore a risk of cultural loss. Pascal Broulis, Vaud's Finance Director, also spoke of bad news in the Grand Council on Tuesday. The press landscape is once again losing diversity. However, Broulis is also concerned because the media are a good indicator of the state of the economy. The takeover shows that the economic crisis is permanent.
Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger appeals to Tamedia to assume its responsibilities. A takeover in the media industry always involves the risk of losing diversity. The Zurich publishing house therefore has a responsibility. In a written statement on Tuesday, Leuenberger called on Tamedia not to compromise on journalistic quality.
The head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) also wants Tamedia to maintain the different media cultures of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. The merger also opens up opportunities: Tamedia's size gives it the means to improve the further training of journalists and to send its own correspondents abroad. Only if this potential is utilized can the Swiss media landscape benefit from the merger.
Tages-Anzeiger editorial team: Completely surprised
The takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia came as a complete surprise to the editorial team of the Tages-Anzeiger (TA). Even according to rumors, such a step had never been an issue, said Ignaz Staub, representative of the TA personnel commission, when asked. The TA personnel committee had therefore not even had time to discuss the takeover. Such a merger had never been brought up before (today's) Tuesday.
The question now arises as to what this step means for TA, Staub continued. In a negative scenario, the former Tamedia flagship could become just one of many newspapers. Conversely, it is also conceivable that Tamedia would want to establish itself with one flagship in French-speaking Switzerland and one in German-speaking Switzerland after the merger. This would then be TA and Le Temps in French-speaking Switzerland.
Ringier: De facto nothing changes
Tamedia's competitor Ringier did not wish to comment further on the takeover of Edipresse on Tuesday. Group spokesman Marco Castellaneta explained that de facto nothing would change for Ringier for the time being. Almost the same titles and the same other media are on the market as before, said Castellaneta. Ringier is therefore taking note of the merger, but will refrain from commenting.
NZZ: "Drumbeat", but no cause for concern
Albert P. Stäheli, Managing Director of AG für die Neue Zürcher Zeitung, is not worried about the takeover of Edipresse. The NZZ Group will become an even more important cooperation partner for Swiss-German newspaper publishers as a result, he said on request. Nevertheless, Stäheli speaks of a "drumbeat" in the media landscape. In particular, he could imagine that the takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia would trigger sensitivities in French-speaking Switzerland, and that it would be the first time that a national newspaper company had been created in the daily press sector. This is an important step in journalistic terms.
FDP: Independence of the Swiss press increasingly under threat
The parties react skeptically to the takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia.
They complain about an increasing loss of media diversity in Switzerland. The FDP, CVP and SP also expect the Competition Commission to scrutinize the takeover. "The merger will create a very large group", FDP President Fulvio Pelli told the news agency SDA on Tuesday.
Although he cannot anticipate the decision of the Competition Commission (COMCO), he believes that the independence of the Swiss press is increasingly under threat as a result. Cartels and monopolies are bad for Switzerland. He therefore expects a "thorough investigation" into the merger.
SP: Appeal to Tamedia not to merge editorial offices
For SP President Christian Levrat, the takeover is "a major step in the concentration of the Swiss media". COMCO must therefore review the deal. Approval is anything but certain. "Tamedia is slowly dominating the Swiss newspaper market", Levrat told the news agency SDA.
If the deal goes through, Levrat hopes that there will be no redundancies. He also appeals to Tamedia not to merge editorial teams. The media market in French-speaking Switzerland works differently to that in German-speaking Switzerland. A merger would therefore be tantamount to scoring an own goal, said Levrat.
CVP: Concentration on Zurich
CVP President Christophe Darbellay is also eagerly awaiting the competition authority's decision. He also fears for media diversity. The three major publishing houses are now all based in Zurich. This is particularly regrettable for French-speaking Switzerland, he said. The Valais native rejects increased state involvement in the Swiss press. "The state must remain subsidiary," he said. Above all, the state must endeavor to guarantee competition.
SVP: Critical journalism suffers
SVP President Toni Brunner also does not see the state as having a duty. Politics cannot stop developments on the market. Nevertheless, he regrets the concentration in the media industry. "Critical journalism is suffering in this uniform mash," said Brunner. "Journalism that is sympathetic to the Federal Council and loyal to the majority will continue to grow," Brunner said with conviction.
Imprint: Media diversity put to the test
The media unions are concerned about the announced takeover of Edipresse in French-speaking Switzerland by Zurich-based Tamedia. They are calling for the collective labor agreement (CLA) in force in French-speaking Switzerland to be respected. The Impressum union is particularly concerned about the announced merger of the two French-speaking commuter newspapers Le Matin bleu and 20 Minutes. Before jobs are cut here, the employees have the right to be involved according to the CLA, said Impressum Managing Director Urs Thalmann on request.
However, possible job losses are only one of Thalmann's concerns. Once again, media diversity is being put to the test - to an unprecedented extent. Thalmann expects the Tamedia Group to do justice to the social partnership. In contrast to Edipresse, the Zurich publishing house has recently made no effort to do so at either association or company level.
Comedia: Unhealthy monopoly
The media union Comedia rejects the takeover outright. The resulting
A media and print monopoly is unhealthy, said Co-President Roland Kreuzer on request. Comedia will seek talks with Tamedia and Edipresse. A recommendation will be made to the Competition Commission and the Federal Council to reject the merger. It is also unacceptable for such a monopolistic group to be subsidized by radio and TV fees. From a regional political perspective, Kreuzer is also concerned about the takeover: it would create a group that would exert influence from Zurich into French-speaking Switzerland.
Politicians from French-speaking Switzerland: independence of the French-speaking press under threat
The takeover of Edipresse by Tamedia is causing concern among politicians in French-speaking Switzerland. They see the independence of the French-speaking press under threat. The takeover undoubtedly represents a potential risk for an independent press in French-speaking Switzerland, said Lausanne Mayor Daniel Brélaz when asked. Zurich could soon come to the conclusion that there are too many newspapers on the small French-speaking Swiss market.
If the new media group then makes agreements with the French publisher Hersant, there will be even less space for other media. There is therefore a risk of cultural loss. Pascal Broulis, Vaud's Finance Director, also spoke of bad news in the Grand Council on Tuesday. The press landscape is once again losing diversity. However, Broulis is also concerned because the media are a good indicator of the state of the economy. The takeover shows that the economic crisis is permanent.
