Commuter train soon to depart St. Gallen
Free newspapers SBB launched a tender for around one hundred newspaper boxes in Eastern Switzerland.
Free newspapers SBB launched a tender for around one hundred newspaper boxes in Eastern Switzerland.
At the annual press conference on March 30, Tamedia CEO Martin Kall acted as if he could decide sometime in the second quarter whether 20 Minuten might want to launch in St. Gallen in the fall. But what Kall already knew at the time was that Tamedia only has until the end of April, at least if 20 Minuten is to be present at the SBB train stations in Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne. This is the deadline that SBB has set in its "invitation procedure" for 70 to 100 box locations in Eastern Switzerland. And they sent the relevant documents to 20 Minuten and St. Galler Tagblatt AG before Easter. Beat-Gaudenz Schwarz, responsible for the invitation to tender at SBB-Immobilien, confirmed this when asked about the key points: SBB expects a free newspaper that appears five times a week and preferably in tabloid format. It should be stapled and round
50 percent editorial content. Advertising supplements are taboo. But regardless of who wins the contract in the end, Schwarz knows from the early days in Zurich: "If 20 Minuten wants to come, it will come anyway."
"SBB has never stopped us from launching," laughs Rolf Bollmann, Managing Director of 20 Minuten. However, he adds that "the partnership with SBB is very good". Nor does he know yet whether the Board of Directors - Kall, newspaper boss Jürg Brauchli and CFO Christoph Tonini - will give the green light for an Eastern Switzerland edition. However, he does not even have a meeting date yet to present his project. As in Central Switzerland, he is assuming a circulation of around 40,000 copies.
St. Galler Tagblatt AG (SGT) is also poring over the SBB tender. "We are still in the clarification phase," says SGT publishing director Daniel Ehrat. At best, a submission for the existing free newspaper Anzeiger St. Gallen, which is published in tabloid format but only once a week, could be considered. Ehrat is aware that the latter could be an obstacle and will therefore seek talks with SBB. "The SBB definition of a commuter newspaper is too tailored to 20 Minuten," he criticizes. "Why can't a weekly newspaper fulfill the same purpose?" he asks.
Markus Knöpfli
At the annual press conference on March 30, Tamedia CEO Martin Kall acted as if he could decide sometime in the second quarter whether 20 Minuten might want to launch in St. Gallen in the fall. But what Kall already knew at the time was that Tamedia only has until the end of April, at least if 20 Minuten is to be present at the SBB train stations in Zurich, Bern, Basel and Lucerne. This is the deadline that SBB has set in its "invitation procedure" for 70 to 100 box locations in Eastern Switzerland. And they sent the relevant documents to 20 Minuten and St. Galler Tagblatt AG before Easter. Beat-Gaudenz Schwarz, responsible for the invitation to tender at SBB-Immobilien, confirmed this when asked about the key points: SBB expects a free newspaper that appears five times a week and preferably in tabloid format. It should be stapled and round
50 percent editorial content. Advertising supplements are taboo. But regardless of who wins the contract in the end, Schwarz knows from the early days in Zurich: "If 20 Minuten wants to come, it will come anyway."
"SBB has never stopped us from launching," laughs Rolf Bollmann, Managing Director of 20 Minuten. However, he adds that "the partnership with SBB is very good". Nor does he know yet whether the Board of Directors - Kall, newspaper boss Jürg Brauchli and CFO Christoph Tonini - will give the green light for an Eastern Switzerland edition. However, he does not even have a meeting date yet to present his project. As in Central Switzerland, he is assuming a circulation of around 40,000 copies.
St. Galler Tagblatt AG (SGT) is also poring over the SBB tender. "We are still in the clarification phase," says SGT publishing director Daniel Ehrat. At best, a submission for the existing free newspaper Anzeiger St. Gallen, which is published in tabloid format but only once a week, could be considered. Ehrat is aware that the latter could be an obstacle and will therefore seek talks with SBB. "The SBB definition of a commuter newspaper is too tailored to 20 Minuten," he criticizes. "Why can't a weekly newspaper fulfill the same purpose?" he asks.
Markus Knöpfli
