Nobody wants to dock yet
Sunday Newspapers: The Schaffhauser Nachrichten believes a seventh edition is essential. The AZ is ready for action with its Sunday project.
Sunday press A seventh edition is essential, according to Schaffhauser Nachrichten. AZ is ready to go ahead with its Sunday project. "We are not in negotiations with potential partners outside the MZ group," says Ueli Eckstein, who as COO of the AZ Medien Group is responsible for the planned Sunday edition of the Mittelland Zeitung (MZ). "However, we are in talks with the managers of Südostschweiz," adds Eckstein. What is being discussed is no secret in the industry. Südostschweiz am Sonntag, as even publisher Hanspeter Lebrument admits, is not doing so well after a year on the market. It is therefore quite possible that the seventh edition of the Südostschweizer regional newspaper network will one day be published under the umbrella of the Mittelland Zeitung am Sonntag.
For the launch on September 16, however, the Aargau-based company has calculated without partners outside of the existing MZ network. "But if anyone is interested in our project," says Eckstein, "we are of course always open." This openness is also underlined by a "double branding" strategy. Those responsible recently decided on "Sonntag" as the main title of the Sunday edition of the Mittelland Zeitung. The figurative mark "Sonntag" is supplemented with the abbreviations of the individual regional newspapers in the MZ network. This also makes it easy to add other titles that want to join the association at a later date.
Part of the GesamtkunstwerkGreat interest in a Sunday edition for his newspaper is shown by Norbert Neininger. "A seventh edition is essential for every daily newspaper in the medium term, including us," says the publisher and editor-in-chief of Schaffhauser Nachrichten. But he doesn't want to be more specific. Just this much: "We haven't decided yet. But we want to make a decision by July at the latest." If one takes the statements of those involved at face value, it remains questionable whether Schaffhausen will turn to Aargau.
Neininger ambiguously points out that there are other options. But the small publisher leaves it open as to which ones. Because for Schaffhauser Nachrichten, it's about more than just a seventh edition. The independent publisher, wedged between the national border in the north and Tamedia territory in the south, would probably also benefit from a partnership-based management solution for the weekday editions of its newspaper in order to strengthen its independence. Neininger's statements in connection with Sunday plans must also be understood in this light. "Cooperation solutions," he says, "are always part of an overall work of art. Ideally, you work together with people with whom you also have other things in common."
Under observationFor years, the Mittelland Zeitung has signaled its openness towards the west. However, the Bieler Tagblatt is still missing from the network to round off the MZ area. When asked about this expansion possibility, Peter Wanner, publisher of the AZ Medien Group, said at the beginning of the month: "We have always said that we are open to further cooperation."
Is the Sonntagszeitung now the lever to get the people of Biel on board? Not for the time being, because the Bieler Tagblatt is contractually bound to the Berner Zeitung in the editorial area. "There is neither a need nor any effort to change this," says Marcel Geissbühler, Head of Media at Tagblatt publisher Gassmann AG.
The editor-in-chief of the Bieler Tagblatt is not quite of the same opinion. Last summer, Catherine Duttweiler had alternative mantle solutions examined for her newspaper because she was no longer satisfied with the quality of the texts delivered from Bern. The fact that the BZ has abolished its departments does not make things any easier for the Bieler Tagblatt. However, the review was terminated without result. "The fact that a publishing house examines alternatives from time to time is part of the business and is nothing out of the ordinary," says publisher Geissbühler, putting the significance of these investigations into perspective. When asked about the Sunday edition of the Mittelland Zeitung, he says that they are watching "with great interest what is happening there". And he says that "observation is the precursor to action", although he does not want this to be understood in connection with the Sunday newspaper. At the moment, Geissbühler is clear: "We won't be there on September 16."
NZZaS examines regional editionsUnless a newspaper jumps on the bandwagon at short notice, the Mittelland Zeitung will launch its seventh edition in its traditional circulation area in two and a half months' time. Another Sunday newspaper is unlikely to be launched until the fall. "I can't imagine that another publisher will also launch, the preparatory work is very extensive," says Ueli Eckstein. This also applies to the Neue Luzerner Zeitung, he adds, which was once said to be looking for a cooperation with the MZ.
But even without other partners, the newspaper is already perceived as a strong player on the Sunday market, so strong that the top dogs are thinking about counter-strategies. The clearest signals are coming from the smallest of the three Sunday newspapers. At NZZ am Sonntag, the launch of regional split editions is "under constant review", says publishing director Daniel Hofer. However, no decisions to this effect have yet been made at Falkenstrasse.
Nick Lüthi
For the launch on September 16, however, the Aargau-based company has calculated without partners outside of the existing MZ network. "But if anyone is interested in our project," says Eckstein, "we are of course always open." This openness is also underlined by a "double branding" strategy. Those responsible recently decided on "Sonntag" as the main title of the Sunday edition of the Mittelland Zeitung. The figurative mark "Sonntag" is supplemented with the abbreviations of the individual regional newspapers in the MZ network. This also makes it easy to add other titles that want to join the association at a later date.
Part of the GesamtkunstwerkGreat interest in a Sunday edition for his newspaper is shown by Norbert Neininger. "A seventh edition is essential for every daily newspaper in the medium term, including us," says the publisher and editor-in-chief of Schaffhauser Nachrichten. But he doesn't want to be more specific. Just this much: "We haven't decided yet. But we want to make a decision by July at the latest." If one takes the statements of those involved at face value, it remains questionable whether Schaffhausen will turn to Aargau.
Neininger ambiguously points out that there are other options. But the small publisher leaves it open as to which ones. Because for Schaffhauser Nachrichten, it's about more than just a seventh edition. The independent publisher, wedged between the national border in the north and Tamedia territory in the south, would probably also benefit from a partnership-based management solution for the weekday editions of its newspaper in order to strengthen its independence. Neininger's statements in connection with Sunday plans must also be understood in this light. "Cooperation solutions," he says, "are always part of an overall work of art. Ideally, you work together with people with whom you also have other things in common."
Under observationFor years, the Mittelland Zeitung has signaled its openness towards the west. However, the Bieler Tagblatt is still missing from the network to round off the MZ area. When asked about this expansion possibility, Peter Wanner, publisher of the AZ Medien Group, said at the beginning of the month: "We have always said that we are open to further cooperation."
Is the Sonntagszeitung now the lever to get the people of Biel on board? Not for the time being, because the Bieler Tagblatt is contractually bound to the Berner Zeitung in the editorial area. "There is neither a need nor any effort to change this," says Marcel Geissbühler, Head of Media at Tagblatt publisher Gassmann AG.
The editor-in-chief of the Bieler Tagblatt is not quite of the same opinion. Last summer, Catherine Duttweiler had alternative mantle solutions examined for her newspaper because she was no longer satisfied with the quality of the texts delivered from Bern. The fact that the BZ has abolished its departments does not make things any easier for the Bieler Tagblatt. However, the review was terminated without result. "The fact that a publishing house examines alternatives from time to time is part of the business and is nothing out of the ordinary," says publisher Geissbühler, putting the significance of these investigations into perspective. When asked about the Sunday edition of the Mittelland Zeitung, he says that they are watching "with great interest what is happening there". And he says that "observation is the precursor to action", although he does not want this to be understood in connection with the Sunday newspaper. At the moment, Geissbühler is clear: "We won't be there on September 16."
NZZaS examines regional editionsUnless a newspaper jumps on the bandwagon at short notice, the Mittelland Zeitung will launch its seventh edition in its traditional circulation area in two and a half months' time. Another Sunday newspaper is unlikely to be launched until the fall. "I can't imagine that another publisher will also launch, the preparatory work is very extensive," says Ueli Eckstein. This also applies to the Neue Luzerner Zeitung, he adds, which was once said to be looking for a cooperation with the MZ.
But even without other partners, the newspaper is already perceived as a strong player on the Sunday market, so strong that the top dogs are thinking about counter-strategies. The clearest signals are coming from the smallest of the three Sunday newspapers. At NZZ am Sonntag, the launch of regional split editions is "under constant review", says publishing director Daniel Hofer. However, no decisions to this effect have yet been made at Falkenstrasse.
Nick Lüthi
