Heritage protection Basel style
Regional TV: How the Basel government is extending its protective hand to TeleBasel and the Basel Media Group.
Regional TV How the Basel government holds a protective hand over TeleBasel and the Basel media group TeleBasel is the TV child of the Basel government: at the time, it initiated a broadly supported cable network foundation as a sponsor. The fact that it is now rejecting an enlarged Baselbieter TV Nordwest 5, which would put pressure on TeleBasel, is therefore to be sympathized with. Nevertheless, there are several reasons why the "no" vote is a cause for concern. Firstly, because the government accuses the private TV advertising association TeleNewsCombi (TNC) of having exerted pressure on TeleBasel. In fact, TeleBasel has been pressured several times in the past by other TNC members to broadcast standardized formats without a local connection in order to help build up regional language advertising platforms with identical target groups (see WW 44/03). Once there was even a threat to "beef up" NW5 and bring it into the TNC in place of the recalcitrant TeleBasel.
This universally confirmed story dates back four years. However, it reappears in the Basel government's statement: An NW5 extended to WG 31 could one day push TeleBasel out of the TNC and disconnect it from the national advertising market, it is feared. Especially if a "foreign media company" were to support the expanded NW5. The government believes the latter is possible in view of Tamedia's entry into 20 Minuten and Radio Basilisk.
Shorter stakes for BMHowever, Samuel Hess, Head of Economic Services at the Basel Department of Economic and Social Affairs and author of the Government Council's statement, emphasizes that the intrusion of foreign companies is not simply seen as a threat in Basel. "At the time, the government council classified Tamedia's entry into Radio Basilisk as unobjectionable," he says. But now the government wants to prevent a (foreign) publisher from controlling a TV station in the region. This would mean that BM, which cannot participate in TeleBasel (foundation), would have shorter stakes, which would be "undesirable" from the government council's point of view in view of its "economic and journalistic contribution".
Conversely, NW5 is not a gateway to the TV sector for BM, because BM and NW5 boss Beat Alder are not on the same stage. In addition, BM itself once slammed a door to NW5: When Fritz Schuhmacher, Vice President of BM, took a private stake in NW5 two years ago, BM executives were so irritated that they called him off. For financial reasons, BM does not want to operate its own TV anyway, preferring to cooperate with TeleBasel. Hess knows all this too.
This means that the Government Council's statement is entirely in line with the BM. However, the company is surprised by this. "We have not lobbied and have never been contacted by the government," assures CEO Beat Meyer. And publisher Hagemann even let it be known via the Basler Zeitung that he had no objections to an expanded NW5. Hess also rejects any contact with BM prior to the statement. Both may be true, but they have known each other's positions very well for years anyway: after all, Meyer and Schuhmacher sit with Hess on the TeleBasel foundation board.
"No fear of contact "The government's protection of BM and TeleBasel gives the impression that BM and TeleBasel are moving closer together due to the increasing influence of Zurich in the region and want to establish at least an ideal bulwark. The fact that TeleBasel and BM-Radio Basel 1 are joining forces for the first time in the next few weeks and launching a major competition further fuels such suspicions.
Meyer is aware of this and openly states that his group is interested in further cooperation opportunities with TeleBasel. At the same time, however, he does not forget to emphasize that financial ties with TeleBasel are ruled out by the system. Willy Surbeck, Managing Director of TeleBasel, on the other hand, is completely independent. He is also planning a big box with Radio Basilisk in the near future: The joint broadcast of the FCB championship celebrations in May. "If we're not pushed, we have no fear of contact," he says.
A privilege with barbsFor years, TeleBasel has enjoyed a privileged position compared to other private TV stations: Cablecom subsidiary Balcab has had to pay it CHF 1.5 million a year - since 1998 and until 2028. This could now become a disadvantage. Because it seems doubtful whether TeleBasel, as a recipient of the Balcab manna, will also be able to participate in fee splitting in accordance with the new Radio and Television Act. All the more so if an expanded NW5 were also to vie for splitting shares. (mk)
Biedereses von Land und Stadt: Program scenes from TV Nordwest 5 (left) and TeleBasel.
Markus Knöpfli
This universally confirmed story dates back four years. However, it reappears in the Basel government's statement: An NW5 extended to WG 31 could one day push TeleBasel out of the TNC and disconnect it from the national advertising market, it is feared. Especially if a "foreign media company" were to support the expanded NW5. The government believes the latter is possible in view of Tamedia's entry into 20 Minuten and Radio Basilisk.
Shorter stakes for BMHowever, Samuel Hess, Head of Economic Services at the Basel Department of Economic and Social Affairs and author of the Government Council's statement, emphasizes that the intrusion of foreign companies is not simply seen as a threat in Basel. "At the time, the government council classified Tamedia's entry into Radio Basilisk as unobjectionable," he says. But now the government wants to prevent a (foreign) publisher from controlling a TV station in the region. This would mean that BM, which cannot participate in TeleBasel (foundation), would have shorter stakes, which would be "undesirable" from the government council's point of view in view of its "economic and journalistic contribution".
Conversely, NW5 is not a gateway to the TV sector for BM, because BM and NW5 boss Beat Alder are not on the same stage. In addition, BM itself once slammed a door to NW5: When Fritz Schuhmacher, Vice President of BM, took a private stake in NW5 two years ago, BM executives were so irritated that they called him off. For financial reasons, BM does not want to operate its own TV anyway, preferring to cooperate with TeleBasel. Hess knows all this too.
This means that the Government Council's statement is entirely in line with the BM. However, the company is surprised by this. "We have not lobbied and have never been contacted by the government," assures CEO Beat Meyer. And publisher Hagemann even let it be known via the Basler Zeitung that he had no objections to an expanded NW5. Hess also rejects any contact with BM prior to the statement. Both may be true, but they have known each other's positions very well for years anyway: after all, Meyer and Schuhmacher sit with Hess on the TeleBasel foundation board.
"No fear of contact "The government's protection of BM and TeleBasel gives the impression that BM and TeleBasel are moving closer together due to the increasing influence of Zurich in the region and want to establish at least an ideal bulwark. The fact that TeleBasel and BM-Radio Basel 1 are joining forces for the first time in the next few weeks and launching a major competition further fuels such suspicions.
Meyer is aware of this and openly states that his group is interested in further cooperation opportunities with TeleBasel. At the same time, however, he does not forget to emphasize that financial ties with TeleBasel are ruled out by the system. Willy Surbeck, Managing Director of TeleBasel, on the other hand, is completely independent. He is also planning a big box with Radio Basilisk in the near future: The joint broadcast of the FCB championship celebrations in May. "If we're not pushed, we have no fear of contact," he says.
A privilege with barbsFor years, TeleBasel has enjoyed a privileged position compared to other private TV stations: Cablecom subsidiary Balcab has had to pay it CHF 1.5 million a year - since 1998 and until 2028. This could now become a disadvantage. Because it seems doubtful whether TeleBasel, as a recipient of the Balcab manna, will also be able to participate in fee splitting in accordance with the new Radio and Television Act. All the more so if an expanded NW5 were also to vie for splitting shares. (mk)
Biedereses von Land und Stadt: Program scenes from TV Nordwest 5 (left) and TeleBasel.
Markus Knöpfli
