Free Swisspool in planning
The triple ad combination that TA-Media and NZZ, Basler Mediengruppe (BMG) and Berner Tagblatt Medien (BTM) are planning for their free titles ZürichExpress (ZE), Baslerstab and Tagblatt der Stadt Bern (WW 16/00)
The triple ad combination planned by TA-Media and NZZ, Basler Mediengruppe (BMG) and Berner Tagblatt Medien (BTM) for their free titles ZürichExpress (ZE), Baslerstab and Tagblatt der Stadt Bern (WW 16/00) is to be operational from September 1, 2000 under the name City-Kombi. In addition, the four publishers want to set up a Plus variant with the titles Luzerner Woche, Winterthurer Woche and Anzeiger (St. Gallen). According to other sources, talks with the publishers and publishing managers in Lucerne, Winterthur and St. Gallen are to take place within the next two weeks. Apparently, the Zurich publishers involved in ZE in particular are urging haste, because a readership study commissioned by them shows that the commuter newspaper 20 Minuten achieves by far the best results of all the Zurich newspapers.
The intention of the combined variants is clear: before the commuter newspapers Metropol and 20 Minuten spread out further, the intention is to occupy the markets in the "golden triangle" of Zurich, Bern, Basel and the whole of German-speaking Switzerland with an advertising pool of free newspapers.
Two details as a supplement: According to Galli, the BTM will bring the Tagblatt into the City-Kombi in any case, regardless of whether it wins the tendered concession for official publications. By the time the Kombi-starts on September 1, BMG will also have to prune its "free title garden." According to reports, it will discontinue Basler Woche in the summer and expand Baslerstab editorially. However, according to Beat Meyer, BMG's board delegate, nothing has been decided yet (mk).
The intention of the combined variants is clear: before the commuter newspapers Metropol and 20 Minuten spread out further, the intention is to occupy the markets in the "golden triangle" of Zurich, Bern, Basel and the whole of German-speaking Switzerland with an advertising pool of free newspapers.
Two details as a supplement: According to Galli, the BTM will bring the Tagblatt into the City-Kombi in any case, regardless of whether it wins the tendered concession for official publications. By the time the Kombi-starts on September 1, BMG will also have to prune its "free title garden." According to reports, it will discontinue Basler Woche in the summer and expand Baslerstab editorially. However, according to Beat Meyer, BMG's board delegate, nothing has been decided yet (mk).
