Tout Bâle is on the ball

 
Magazine Two sports journalists launch the "Basler Fussball" newspaper and expect to be in the black as early as this year Is the Basel region so obsessed with football that it wants to read a newspaper three times a week devoted exclusively to the game? Some may doubt it, but Michael Martin and Daniel Schaub, the initiators of the new newspaper "Basler Fussball", which will be published three times a week from February 2, are convinced otherwise. According to a survey, around a third of the 600,000 inhabitants of north-western Switzerland have an affinity for football, says Martin. That makes a potential audience for the new newspaper of around 200,000 people. If only 5 percent of them order a subscription for 140 francs (or 125 francs until the end of March) or regularly buy a copy for one franc at the kiosk, the business plan could work out for the two publishers. Of course, this also depends on advertising revenue. But in this respect, the new paper is off to a moderate start: a full page in four colors costs 1,750 francs for Basel Football. Advertising sales via Publicitas Basel appear to have got off to a good start. "We hope to be in the black as early as 2008," says Martin.Enthusiasm among the clubsThe tabloid newspaper will kick off with a circulation of 20,000 copies and an expected 32 pages (one third of which will be advertisements). Martin and Schaub, both long-standing sports journalists at the Basler Zeitung and editors of "rotweiss", the monthly magazine of the Swiss Football Association, have been relying not only on their expertise, but also on their network of contacts in north-western Switzerland: with presidents of regional clubs, coaches, FCB greats and officials. Basler Fussball not only focuses on the FCB, the national team or the current Euro 08 (although this is certainly not neglected), but the newspaper also reports on the approximately 105 local football clubs in the region. Accordingly, the clubs and associations are downright enthusiastic about the project, says Martin. Many clubs have spontaneously pledged their support, be it with subscription advertising and distribution among members, or by sending regular information to the six-strong Basler-Fussball editorial team.
Incidentally, those who subscribe to Basler Fussball do not receive the newspaper by post, but in their letterbox early on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays - thanks to cooperation with Prevag, the delivery organization of Basler Zeitung Medien. The paper is also produced at their printing center.
Expansion conceivableThe fact that Schaub and Martin are launching the first football newspaper on the Rhine knee of all places has primarily to do with their own local roots. But they are not ruling out the possibility of expanding the concept - assuming it is successful in Basel. "It is quite conceivable that the concept could also be implemented in a second region," says Martin. At the moment, however, this is still a step too far. "But we will be the first to expand when we see the signs," he adds.
And another expansion option was mentioned at the press conference by inquiring journalists: that Basel football could one day serve as a supplement to a larger daily newspaper if it is successful. Although the initiators themselves have not thought about this, they say, they obviously do not reject this idea outright.
Markus Knöpfli