Tamedia launches free newspaper in Luxembourg
Tamedia is venturing abroad for the first time: Together with the Luxembourg-based publisher Editpresse, the Zurich-based media company is launching a free daily newspaper in Luxembourg. The paper, titled L’Essentiel, is scheduled to launch before the end of 2007. However, Tamedia emphasizes that the investment in Luxembourg is not the first step in a major expansion plan abroad. Nor does it have anything to do with the planned second commuter newspaper in Switzerland.
Tamedia is trying its hand abroad for the first time: together with the Luxembourg publishing house Editpresse, the Zurich-based media company is launching a free daily newspaper in Luxembourg. The paper, entitled L'Essentiel, is to be launched before the end of 2007. "This is not the first step in a major expansion plan abroad", emphasized Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer to Werbewoche. Further steps abroad at a later date have not been ruled out. At the moment, however, the company has simply seized the opportunity that presents itself. "It is a manageable investment," Zimmer continued.
The Editpress publisher Alvin Sold and the former Tamedia publisher Hans Heinrich Coninx have been friends for a long time, which had already led to weekly magazines from the two companies exchanging texts. Luxembourg is an interesting market for Tamedia because it is very similar to Switzerland. The Benelux country is also a small multilingual country with a large proportion of newspaper readers. That is why Tamedia believes that major synergy effects are possible between the new title L'Essentiel and 20 Minuten or 20 minutes, Zimmer continued.
Editpress and Tamedia each hold a 50 percent stake in the newly founded publishing company Edita. Tamedia will be represented on the Board of Directors by Chairman Pietro Supino, CEO Martin Kall and 20 Minuten Managing Director Marcel Kohler. In addition to Alvin Sold, the publisher and CEO of Editpress, Danièle Fonck, Deputy CEO of Editpress and member of the Board of Directors, and Paul Hammelmann, member of the Board of Directors of Editpress, will join the Board of Directors of Edita on behalf of the Luxembourg-based company.
The Luxembourg publishing house is to contribute its knowledge of the Luxembourg media region to the project and guarantee its roots in the Grand Duchy. In return, Tamedia will contribute its experience with 20 Minuten and 20 minutes in Switzerland. "Editpresse chose us as a cooperation partner because we publish a successful commuter newspaper with 20 Minuten," says Zimmer.
The newspaper will be aimed at a "young, urban and affluent" readership, according to a press release. According to Tamedia spokesperson Zimmer, however, it is too early to provide information on the exact editorial concept. The new title will be distributed via newspaper boxes. A website will go online at the same time as the printed newspaper is launched.
The daily newspaper in Luxembourg has nothing to do with the new free newspaper project in Switzerland, Zimmer explained to Werbewoche. The weekly newspaper had written on Thursday that the "Tagi kompakt" project had been buried. "We never said that the new title was to be a Tagi kompakt edition. But we are still working on another free newspaper," said the Tamedia press office. Zimmer did not want to comment on industry rumors that this would be a slimmer, less expanded newspaper than 20 Minuten: "It is still too early to provide detailed information on the concept.
The Editpress publisher Alvin Sold and the former Tamedia publisher Hans Heinrich Coninx have been friends for a long time, which had already led to weekly magazines from the two companies exchanging texts. Luxembourg is an interesting market for Tamedia because it is very similar to Switzerland. The Benelux country is also a small multilingual country with a large proportion of newspaper readers. That is why Tamedia believes that major synergy effects are possible between the new title L'Essentiel and 20 Minuten or 20 minutes, Zimmer continued.
Editpress and Tamedia each hold a 50 percent stake in the newly founded publishing company Edita. Tamedia will be represented on the Board of Directors by Chairman Pietro Supino, CEO Martin Kall and 20 Minuten Managing Director Marcel Kohler. In addition to Alvin Sold, the publisher and CEO of Editpress, Danièle Fonck, Deputy CEO of Editpress and member of the Board of Directors, and Paul Hammelmann, member of the Board of Directors of Editpress, will join the Board of Directors of Edita on behalf of the Luxembourg-based company.
The Luxembourg publishing house is to contribute its knowledge of the Luxembourg media region to the project and guarantee its roots in the Grand Duchy. In return, Tamedia will contribute its experience with 20 Minuten and 20 minutes in Switzerland. "Editpresse chose us as a cooperation partner because we publish a successful commuter newspaper with 20 Minuten," says Zimmer.
The newspaper will be aimed at a "young, urban and affluent" readership, according to a press release. According to Tamedia spokesperson Zimmer, however, it is too early to provide information on the exact editorial concept. The new title will be distributed via newspaper boxes. A website will go online at the same time as the printed newspaper is launched.
The daily newspaper in Luxembourg has nothing to do with the new free newspaper project in Switzerland, Zimmer explained to Werbewoche. The weekly newspaper had written on Thursday that the "Tagi kompakt" project had been buried. "We never said that the new title was to be a Tagi kompakt edition. But we are still working on another free newspaper," said the Tamedia press office. Zimmer did not want to comment on industry rumors that this would be a slimmer, less expanded newspaper than 20 Minuten: "It is still too early to provide detailed information on the concept.
