"NW1" must definitely cease operations
An attempt by the employees to save the loss-making local television station "NW1" in Basel-Landschaft has failed.
An attempt to save the loss-making local television station "NW1" in Basel by its employees has failed. On Friday, the operating company NordWest Medien AG announced the closure of its operations. The 22 employees will be made redundant. In May, the main shareholder Elektra Birseck Münchenstein (EBM) had offered the employees of the struggling TV station to let them keep the station debt-free if they presented a concept to secure it. This concept was analyzed on Friday, as reported by SDA. However, the Board of Directors and employees came to the conclusion that 300,000 to 500,000 Swiss francs would have been necessary to survive a lean period. The employees would not have been able to secure these funds within the deadline.
All employment contracts will be terminated at the end of June, the sponsoring company announced. The Board of Directors is currently working out a social plan with the employees and the journalists' professional association Impressum. The employees will remain in employment until the end of September. "NW1" will continue to broadcast previously produced programs "until further notice".
However, EBM intends to hold talks until the end of July with other interested parties who may want to continue the station with new concepts. However, if the sale of the company as a whole does not materialize, individual parts will then be sold off, as an EBM spokesperson told SDA.
According to information provided by EBM Director Hans Büttiker at the delegates' meeting on Wednesday, EBM is expecting a loss of around CHF 5 million from its stake in "NW1".
All employment contracts will be terminated at the end of June, the sponsoring company announced. The Board of Directors is currently working out a social plan with the employees and the journalists' professional association Impressum. The employees will remain in employment until the end of September. "NW1" will continue to broadcast previously produced programs "until further notice".
However, EBM intends to hold talks until the end of July with other interested parties who may want to continue the station with new concepts. However, if the sale of the company as a whole does not materialize, individual parts will then be sold off, as an EBM spokesperson told SDA.
According to information provided by EBM Director Hans Büttiker at the delegates' meeting on Wednesday, EBM is expecting a loss of around CHF 5 million from its stake in "NW1".
