A proud stand-alone

Private television After years of struggle
Paul Grau with Star TV as Switzerland's first national private broadcaster
celebrate its 10th anniversary.
"After ten years of Star TV, I can
look back on the fact that almost every year some company or
consortium has shown an interest in participating",
muses Paul Grau. Unfortunately, these interests are always "in the
Macho area". In other words: it's always about the
majority of the shares. A concrete offer was also recently made by a
large publishing house. But for Paul Grau, it was once again the often
experienced history. "People are in awe that I lasted so long.
survived, and in the next sentence they want me out of the window.
But I need at least another ten years of this kick with
its own transmitter."

Back in 1985, Paul Grau, together with the film distributors UIP,
Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Rialto Film and Monopole Pathé the
Cinema preview "Trailer Cinema Highlights". This has quickly become
twelve largest cable networks in Switzerland.
In 1991, advertising and sponsorship were also permitted on private television. Paul
Grau turned his cinema preview into an advertising-financed one-hour program.
Film magazine from.
In 1994, he presented the project of a nationwide Swiss
television station, which covers the areas of film and entertainment
should. Partner with 49 percent was the largest Swiss
Cable network operator Rediffusion. Grau: "It would actually be a
fifty-fifty participation, but Bakom did not accept the
changed at the last moment because the majority of private television
had to be Swiss - and Rediffuson was in the hands of the
French Alcatel."
In retrospect, Bakom's decision turned out to be favorable. "Only
With this majority, I was later able to overcome the turbulence surrounding the sale of the
Rediffusion to Cablecom will survive," says Grau.

On May 3, 1995, the pioneer in Schlieren received the
Concession for a national television station. On August 31, 1995
Star TV is the first national private television station in Switzerland to go "on air".
And so began the tough battle in a scene in which, until now
Only the stations with a strong publisher in the background survive
could. But: "All offers for a takeover were always in the style of
to see a bargain hunt." Roger Schawinski also once wrote
made an offer by telephone. That was before the concession was granted
to Tele 24, and the head of TeleZüri at the time spontaneously phoned from
a ski slope.
A figure who also played an important role in this period for Star TV
was Beat Curti. Shortly after Star TV, he had started
Rediffusion founded the station Züri 1. This conglomerate with the
producers Urs Emmenegger and Martin Weiss, Eden TV was also involved.
Paul Grau has set up this channel as his second channel together with the
former Werbewoche editor-in-chief Piero Schäfer and Helmi Sigg
operated. Grau was able to afford "this hobby" because he not only
has produced many video clips for Yello, Udo Jürgens and Nina Hagen,
but also RTL in Germany with regular contributions from the
could supply Switzerland. "So I already have a pool of
film technicians."
The program was broadcast by Eden TV in the early nineties on
the Rediffusion info channel. However, Grau wanted the idea
professionalize. "We had the idea that we could turn this
Grow out of copain television and make real private television
wanted." However, this required an investor with money or a
publisher. So I rattled off every publisher except the NZZ and ended up with
Finally with Beat Curti. "Our bible for finding a partner was the
Bilanz with its edition of the hundred richest Swiss at the time."
In fact, Beat Curti took up the idea of private television and
she proposed to Roy Simmens, then General Director of Rediffusion,
before. The result was Züri 1, but Beat Curti had bigger things in mind.
"With his IP Multimedia, he already had the
RTL program window story in mind and a license application to go with it
run," reveals Grau. After RTL's window request was first
had been rejected, there was also a lack of interest among investors in
Züri 1 is no longer there. The station has been discontinued.
"That disappointed us. But we continued on our own and integrated Eden TV into the existing Star TV."
This was initially marketed by IP Multimedia. Then
after a little more than two years of Rediffusion from Cablecom
bought up. As a result
Cablecom will also benefit from the 49 percent stake in Star
TV solution. This is how Grau came to 100 percent in 1997 "like a virgin to a child"
the shares of Star TV, because his station was still in its pioneering days.
was in the red and no one else wanted to bid.
"That was the biggest challenge of my life," says Grau. "I
sat on the 100 percent and wanted to know the fate of Star TV
into their hands." But no bank and no investor wanted further
Give money to Star TV.
The now even more challenged CEO started a physical fitness program
and also approached Beat Curti to get out of the long-standing
contract with IP Multimedia.

In 1996, the program loop was extended to four hours. In 1998
the Federal Council granted the broadcaster an extended concession to
further development towards a full program. In 1999, the
advertiser and journalist Walter Bosch holds 29 percent of the shares. He holds these
still is. Grau says of his partner: "Walter Bosch is for
very valuable to our station and one of my best business friends.
You can discuss and solve problems very well with him."
Star TV was one of the first broadcasters to respond to new developments.
reacted. The company repositioned itself as target group television for
lifestyle and entertainment. Interactive tools and formats are also
increasingly important. For some time now, Star TV has also had a
additional concession for expansion as a game channel. And because the name
program, there are of course many more plans in the pipeline.
Stars.   

Andreas Panzeri