Forward strategy at Tele Züri: Massive expansion of the broadcast area
By adding new areas and broadcasting via digital TV, Tele Züri aims to expand its coverage area by about 50 percent. In return, the station has decided not to challenge the «questionable» licensing decision. The decisive factor in the decision not to appeal was that Tele Züri was able to expand its broadcast area and thus remain competitive, as Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer told Werbewoche.
Tele Züri plans to significantly expand its current broadcasting area over the next six months. In addition to the canton of Zurich and the Aargau districts of Baden and Bremgarten, the station's program will be broadcast via Cablecom's network to the entire region around Lake Zurich, including Rapperswil-Jona. Large parts of the canton of Glarus, the Linth plain and now the entire canton of Schwyz are also covered.
Corresponding agreements have already been signed with the cable network providers for the distribution of Tele Züri on the analog cable network, as detailed in a press release. The activation of Tele Züri in the Schaffhausen and Zug area is currently still being examined by the cable network operators concerned. "We had already held talks prior to the licensing decision in order to be prepared in the event of a negative decision. However, the definitive conclusion of the negotiations was only possible after the licensing procedure," Tamedia spokesperson Zimmer told Werbewoche.
Via digital TV throughout German-speaking Switzerland
In addition to analog broadcasting, Tele Züri will also expand its broadcasting area digitally in the first half of 2009. It is planned to be included in the Cablecom Digital TV service throughout German-speaking Switzerland and in Ticino, as well as in BluewinTV's nationwide service. In north-eastern Switzerland, Tele Züri is expanding its broadcasting area with digital distribution in parts of the canton of Thurgau. The Tele Züri program can still be received on the Internet via the TV provider Zattoo. The distribution of Tele Züri via its own livestream service is being examined.
When asked whether it wasn't a bit risky to expand the broadcasting area so massively in times of falling advertising revenue, Christoph Zimmer said: "The decision to expand the broadcasting area was not just made for one or two years, but with a long-term perspective. Also for the times after the crisis."
New 2.05 million potential viewers
Tele Züri's programming will continue to focus on the Zurich region and those areas of German-speaking Switzerland with close links to Zurich, the press release continues. Broadcasting without a license enables Tele Züri to extend its transmission area to these regions without legal restrictions. In total, Tele Züri will reach more than 1.06 million households in the future with the expansion of its broadcasting area in the analog and digital networks.
This corresponds to around 2.05 million potential viewers in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. The new broadcasting area is therefore around 50 percent larger than the station's current license area, which covers around 605,000 households with around 1.35 million potential viewers.
No appeal on the concession issue
In return for expanding its broadcasting area, Tele Züri has decided not to appeal the questionable licensing decision of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) to the Federal Administrative Court in Bern. "The decisive factor in our decision not to appeal was that we can now expand our broadcasting area and thus remain competitive. The new competitor Tele Top creates a new situation for us in which we can only maintain or even increase our income by expanding our broadcasting area," said Zimmer.
Stable spot prices for the time being
Zimmer said: "We will gradually expand the broadcasting area in the first half of 2009, but the advertising prices will certainly remain the same until June 2009. Until then, the Tele News Combi rates will also apply." As the concessions are always linked to advertising restrictions, the loss of the concession in this area could also bring advantages. Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer confirmed that the loss of the concessions means that individual advertising restrictions will no longer apply, which will bring certain relief: "For example, there is no longer an upper limit on advertising minutes per hour. However, these simplifications will not be decisive for the commercial success of Tele Züri."
(Inquiries: elk)
Corresponding agreements have already been signed with the cable network providers for the distribution of Tele Züri on the analog cable network, as detailed in a press release. The activation of Tele Züri in the Schaffhausen and Zug area is currently still being examined by the cable network operators concerned. "We had already held talks prior to the licensing decision in order to be prepared in the event of a negative decision. However, the definitive conclusion of the negotiations was only possible after the licensing procedure," Tamedia spokesperson Zimmer told Werbewoche.
Via digital TV throughout German-speaking Switzerland
In addition to analog broadcasting, Tele Züri will also expand its broadcasting area digitally in the first half of 2009. It is planned to be included in the Cablecom Digital TV service throughout German-speaking Switzerland and in Ticino, as well as in BluewinTV's nationwide service. In north-eastern Switzerland, Tele Züri is expanding its broadcasting area with digital distribution in parts of the canton of Thurgau. The Tele Züri program can still be received on the Internet via the TV provider Zattoo. The distribution of Tele Züri via its own livestream service is being examined.
When asked whether it wasn't a bit risky to expand the broadcasting area so massively in times of falling advertising revenue, Christoph Zimmer said: "The decision to expand the broadcasting area was not just made for one or two years, but with a long-term perspective. Also for the times after the crisis."
New 2.05 million potential viewers
Tele Züri's programming will continue to focus on the Zurich region and those areas of German-speaking Switzerland with close links to Zurich, the press release continues. Broadcasting without a license enables Tele Züri to extend its transmission area to these regions without legal restrictions. In total, Tele Züri will reach more than 1.06 million households in the future with the expansion of its broadcasting area in the analog and digital networks.
This corresponds to around 2.05 million potential viewers in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. The new broadcasting area is therefore around 50 percent larger than the station's current license area, which covers around 605,000 households with around 1.35 million potential viewers.
No appeal on the concession issue
In return for expanding its broadcasting area, Tele Züri has decided not to appeal the questionable licensing decision of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) to the Federal Administrative Court in Bern. "The decisive factor in our decision not to appeal was that we can now expand our broadcasting area and thus remain competitive. The new competitor Tele Top creates a new situation for us in which we can only maintain or even increase our income by expanding our broadcasting area," said Zimmer.
Stable spot prices for the time being
Zimmer said: "We will gradually expand the broadcasting area in the first half of 2009, but the advertising prices will certainly remain the same until June 2009. Until then, the Tele News Combi rates will also apply." As the concessions are always linked to advertising restrictions, the loss of the concession in this area could also bring advantages. Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer confirmed that the loss of the concessions means that individual advertising restrictions will no longer apply, which will bring certain relief: "For example, there is no longer an upper limit on advertising minutes per hour. However, these simplifications will not be decisive for the commercial success of Tele Züri."
(Inquiries: elk)
