"Multiplicity does not necessarily bring diversity"
Despite its expansion into new territories, Tele Ostschweiz still has partnerships with other providers on its agenda. This is according to Wolfgang Frei, Head of New Media at the NZZ.
For Tele Ostschweiz, cooperations with other providers are still on the agenda, despite the expansion of its territory. Wolfgang Frei, Head of New Media at the NZZ, says this.Will a merger with Tele Top remain an issue for Tele Ostschweiz?Wolfgang Frei: A merger was never an issue, at most cooperation.
However, the St. Galler Tagblatt clearly spoke of program or company mergers on March 6.
Free: Company merger is wrong. Should we buy Tele Top?
That's what I wanted to ask you.
Frei: Cooperation talks are underway, but primarily for the advertising area. There has to be cooperation there, otherwise you're too small.
Are you thinking of an advertising pool?
Free: There are many possibilities: Window solutions, pool, joint marketing, joint broadcasts. This will now be discussed until around summer - not only between Tele Ostschweiz and Tele Top, but also with other providers in eastern Switzerland.
So you also talk to Schaffhauser TV and Tele Südostschweiz?
Frei: Above all with the people of Schaffhausen. Because there is also a media company behind it, which is not unimportant in the TV sector.
The Uvek considers two transmitters in the St. Gallen area to be economically feasible. You apparently do not.
Frei: Tele Top's core area remains Winterthur. Our core area of St. Gallen will therefore probably remain more of a peripheral area for them. Therefore, our survival or that of Tele Top does not really depend on their presence in St. Gallen. With St. Gallen, Tele Top can increase its potential, but that says nothing about the effective audience figures.
According to the Uvek, the territory expansion for Tele Top is intended to break up the monopoly situation in St. Gallen. Cooperations are therefore not desired.
Frei: A cooperation in the advertising sector is certainly something different than one in the news sector. Moreover, Tele Ostschweiz is seriously made and very open to other opinions. Nevertheless, if you want competition, you want pluralism of content. But this is - similar to newspapers - probably a naive notion: multiplicity does not necessarily bring diversity. Multiple weak that are similar or the same don't exactly promote pluralism. Interview: Markus Knöpfli
However, the St. Galler Tagblatt clearly spoke of program or company mergers on March 6.
Free: Company merger is wrong. Should we buy Tele Top?
That's what I wanted to ask you.
Frei: Cooperation talks are underway, but primarily for the advertising area. There has to be cooperation there, otherwise you're too small.
Are you thinking of an advertising pool?
Free: There are many possibilities: Window solutions, pool, joint marketing, joint broadcasts. This will now be discussed until around summer - not only between Tele Ostschweiz and Tele Top, but also with other providers in eastern Switzerland.
So you also talk to Schaffhauser TV and Tele Südostschweiz?
Frei: Above all with the people of Schaffhausen. Because there is also a media company behind it, which is not unimportant in the TV sector.
The Uvek considers two transmitters in the St. Gallen area to be economically feasible. You apparently do not.
Frei: Tele Top's core area remains Winterthur. Our core area of St. Gallen will therefore probably remain more of a peripheral area for them. Therefore, our survival or that of Tele Top does not really depend on their presence in St. Gallen. With St. Gallen, Tele Top can increase its potential, but that says nothing about the effective audience figures.
According to the Uvek, the territory expansion for Tele Top is intended to break up the monopoly situation in St. Gallen. Cooperations are therefore not desired.
Frei: A cooperation in the advertising sector is certainly something different than one in the news sector. Moreover, Tele Ostschweiz is seriously made and very open to other opinions. Nevertheless, if you want competition, you want pluralism of content. But this is - similar to newspapers - probably a naive notion: multiplicity does not necessarily bring diversity. Multiple weak that are similar or the same don't exactly promote pluralism. Interview: Markus Knöpfli
