Radio program for adults soon?
Radio Basilisk founder Christian Heeb is aiming for an FM radio license in German-speaking Switzerland. His plan: a high-quality, information-heavy program that clearly distinguishes itself from pure entertainment for a younger audience.
Radio Basilisk founder Christian Heeb is aiming for an FM radio license in German-speaking Switzerland. His plan: a high-quality, information-heavy program that clearly distinguishes itself from pure entertainment for a younger audience.
In order to put these plans into practice, the radio veteran has founded the public limited company Medien für Erwachsene (MFE). As the SDA writes in a press release on Thursday, the company's purpose is formulated rather vaguely as the "development and operation of platforms in the media and communications sector with a high quality of journalistic provision for adult users". The reference to adults does not in any way indicate any kind of dirty content, as the SDA goes on to say, but primarily serves to differentiate the company from pure entertainment channels, which find a largely young audience.
According to the communiqué, MFE is not targeting a local but a regional language station in the new tender for radio and TV licenses announced by the Federal Council. A participation in or takeover of an existing station is also not ruled out. It remains unclear whether this refers to Radio Basilisk, co-founded by Heeb, which Tamedia will have to sell following the purchase of Espace. Similarly, no figures have been published on the station's future financial requirements. As the SDA writes, it is currently only certain that the offices have been occupied and that the company's shares have been fully paid up. Former Ringier TV boss Hans Jürg "Fibo" Deutsch is also involved in the project as a board member, as is Franz C. Widmer, who is retiring as editor-in-chief of the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung at the end of the year.
In order to put these plans into practice, the radio veteran has founded the public limited company Medien für Erwachsene (MFE). As the SDA writes in a press release on Thursday, the company's purpose is formulated rather vaguely as the "development and operation of platforms in the media and communications sector with a high quality of journalistic provision for adult users". The reference to adults does not in any way indicate any kind of dirty content, as the SDA goes on to say, but primarily serves to differentiate the company from pure entertainment channels, which find a largely young audience.
According to the communiqué, MFE is not targeting a local but a regional language station in the new tender for radio and TV licenses announced by the Federal Council. A participation in or takeover of an existing station is also not ruled out. It remains unclear whether this refers to Radio Basilisk, co-founded by Heeb, which Tamedia will have to sell following the purchase of Espace. Similarly, no figures have been published on the station's future financial requirements. As the SDA writes, it is currently only certain that the offices have been occupied and that the company's shares have been fully paid up. Former Ringier TV boss Hans Jürg "Fibo" Deutsch is also involved in the project as a board member, as is Franz C. Widmer, who is retiring as editor-in-chief of the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung at the end of the year.
