20 Minuten and FuW under Kall's magnifying glass

Newspapers Tamedia sees potential for optimization in its new acquisitions. After the "unsatisfactory result in 2003", Hans Heinrich Coninx, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tamedia, was able to announce a "pleasing result" this week. For the Zurich-based media group, 2004 was "a year of renewal and new beginnings", he said. On the one hand, this was true in financial terms (see page 18). On the other hand, four Tamedia products - Tages-Anzeiger, Facts, Schweizer Familie and Annabelle - had also undergone a relaunch or redesign, which was apparently only the beginning. CEO Martin Kall wants to "optimize" other titles. In particular, he mentioned 20 Minuten and Finanz & Wirtschaft (FuW), which were completely taken over at the beginning of 2005. In the case of 20 Minuten, a further expansion into eastern Switzerland is probably the first priority, and Kall intends to examine such a project "in the second quarter". He mentioned fall 2005 as a possible start date and was very pleased with the move into central Switzerland nine months ago. A redesign does not seem out of the question either. However, the "pioneering spirit and the cheeky character" of the commuter newspaper will be retained, Kall assured. He is also thinking about cost synergies, for example in the IT area.
In the case of FuW, which is "excellently positioned and successful despite a heavy loss of advertising", Kall is examining how the business newspaper and Tamedia can "work together better without compromising the independent FuW culture". Here too, Kall indicated that he is considering a redesign.
Markus Knöpfli