Be embraced, you Freiburgers
Espace Media Groupe is strengthening its defenses against Edipresse and partnering with the Freiburger Nachrichten
Espace Media Groupe strengthens its bulwark against Edipresse and cooperates with Freiburger NachrichtenBy Markus Knöpfli Espace Media Groupe has only just offered its neighbors Freiburger Nachrichten and La Liberté help against Edipresse. And now it can already take both titles in hand. In return, it is foregoing the expansion of its Fribourg split.
From September 1, the Freiburger Nachrichten (FN) will obtain its national pages from the Berner Zeitung (BZ), filling the gap left by the Solothurner Zeitung due to the forthcoming cooperation with the Aargauer Zeitung.
The FN needs one page each for foreign, domestic, business and miscellaneous. The cooperation with BZ is surprising, however, because the BZ sections are usually more comprehensive. This is why the FN had initially looked for smaller partners. However, the BZ offered to tailor its content to the needs of the FN. But that was not all, the federal government also offered to do this.
The BZ and its publisher Espace Media Groupe (formerly Berner Tagblatt Medien) were awarded the contract because they also offered the FN membership of the Bern newspaper pool (BZ, Bieler Tagblatt BT, Walliser Bote) including the corresponding advertising management system. Although this still has to be approved by the combined partners, Albert P. Stäheli, Chairman of the Espace Media Group Management Board, is confident. "From the market, we sense a strong need for a comprehensive offering in Espace Mittelland, and there is interest in a modular offering system," he says on request.
Another important point that led the FN to choose the BZ as a partner: according to FN Director Paul Stritt, the BZ has decided not to expand its current two to three-page Fribourg split. The people of Fribourg were apparently unable to get any more from Espace Media. Stäheli states: "The Fribourg split of the BZ will not be discontinued, but we want to cover the needs of the Bern-oriented population in German-speaking Fribourg to a greater extent, while the FN clearly focuses on the traditional local readership. We are therefore offering complementary services." The BZ will also take over individual FN articles.
Nobody in Freiburg is talking about threatening gestures
In the past, this expandable split was one of the fence posts that Espace Media sometimes waved in the direction of Fribourg. Another was the purchase of the Murten provider a year ago. Stäheli does not want to hear anything aggressive. Threats have never been his negotiating style. "However, we do provide honest, open information about our market assessments and plans", which is sometimes interpreted as aggressive. However, it has been BTM's declared aim since 1994 "to achieve meaningful consolidation together with the relevant providers in Espace Mittelland in order to remain competitive as a strong media region in the national market".
Stritt also rejects the idea that fear has driven the FN into the arms of the BZ. "We are also committed to Espace Mittelland. In addition, our Board of Directors has clearly spoken out against a financial participation by Espace Media."
From Espace Media Groupe's point of view, the latest coup in Fribourg is a success. It was only in mid-May that it offered the FN and Liberté help against Edipresse's appetites. Now it can already shake hands with one of them. And indirectly to the second. This is because the Paulus printing company, which publishes La Liberté, has a 20 percent stake in FN. Espace Media can therefore directly show its willingness to help the publisher of La Liberté, with whom it has already signed an aid agreement.
Above all, however, Stäheli was once again able to outbid the Bund. Bund publishing director J. Pepe Wiss regrets this, but is not too surprised. The Bund was not able to offer such a broad range of services as the BZ. "But it's understandable that someone looking for help tends to stick with the strongest." However, it is clear that the federal government is now increasingly becoming the only alternative beyond the canton of Bern.
From September 1, the Freiburger Nachrichten (FN) will obtain its national pages from the Berner Zeitung (BZ), filling the gap left by the Solothurner Zeitung due to the forthcoming cooperation with the Aargauer Zeitung.
The FN needs one page each for foreign, domestic, business and miscellaneous. The cooperation with BZ is surprising, however, because the BZ sections are usually more comprehensive. This is why the FN had initially looked for smaller partners. However, the BZ offered to tailor its content to the needs of the FN. But that was not all, the federal government also offered to do this.
The BZ and its publisher Espace Media Groupe (formerly Berner Tagblatt Medien) were awarded the contract because they also offered the FN membership of the Bern newspaper pool (BZ, Bieler Tagblatt BT, Walliser Bote) including the corresponding advertising management system. Although this still has to be approved by the combined partners, Albert P. Stäheli, Chairman of the Espace Media Group Management Board, is confident. "From the market, we sense a strong need for a comprehensive offering in Espace Mittelland, and there is interest in a modular offering system," he says on request.
Another important point that led the FN to choose the BZ as a partner: according to FN Director Paul Stritt, the BZ has decided not to expand its current two to three-page Fribourg split. The people of Fribourg were apparently unable to get any more from Espace Media. Stäheli states: "The Fribourg split of the BZ will not be discontinued, but we want to cover the needs of the Bern-oriented population in German-speaking Fribourg to a greater extent, while the FN clearly focuses on the traditional local readership. We are therefore offering complementary services." The BZ will also take over individual FN articles.
Nobody in Freiburg is talking about threatening gestures
In the past, this expandable split was one of the fence posts that Espace Media sometimes waved in the direction of Fribourg. Another was the purchase of the Murten provider a year ago. Stäheli does not want to hear anything aggressive. Threats have never been his negotiating style. "However, we do provide honest, open information about our market assessments and plans", which is sometimes interpreted as aggressive. However, it has been BTM's declared aim since 1994 "to achieve meaningful consolidation together with the relevant providers in Espace Mittelland in order to remain competitive as a strong media region in the national market".
Stritt also rejects the idea that fear has driven the FN into the arms of the BZ. "We are also committed to Espace Mittelland. In addition, our Board of Directors has clearly spoken out against a financial participation by Espace Media."
From Espace Media Groupe's point of view, the latest coup in Fribourg is a success. It was only in mid-May that it offered the FN and Liberté help against Edipresse's appetites. Now it can already shake hands with one of them. And indirectly to the second. This is because the Paulus printing company, which publishes La Liberté, has a 20 percent stake in FN. Espace Media can therefore directly show its willingness to help the publisher of La Liberté, with whom it has already signed an aid agreement.
Above all, however, Stäheli was once again able to outbid the Bund. Bund publishing director J. Pepe Wiss regrets this, but is not too surprised. The Bund was not able to offer such a broad range of services as the BZ. "But it's understandable that someone looking for help tends to stick with the strongest." However, it is clear that the federal government is now increasingly becoming the only alternative beyond the canton of Bern.
