After ten years: Schweiz am Sonntag is published for the last time
After nearly ten years, the newspaper *Schweiz am Sonntag* has published its final issue. The paper will be merged with the Saturday edition of the *AZ Nordwestschweiz* to form *Schweiz am Wochenende*.
"Rail project blocked: Trump slows down Peter Spuhler," was the last big headline on the front page of the latest issue. A picture of "Courgette," the Swiss Oscar hopeful in Hollywood, also found space on the front page. The newspaper has repeatedly made headlines in other media with its reports, interviews and research in recent years.
Schweiz am Sonntag was first published in September 2007, and Patrik Müller has been Editor-in-Chief ever since. He is now also Editor-in-Chief of AZ Nordwestschweiz. The reason given by publisher Peter Wanner's media company AZ Medien for discontinuing Schweiz am Sonntag is the dwindling advertising revenues and the high costs of printing, paper and distribution. The company wants to invest the freed-up funds in reporting. Among other things, local sports will be revived, according to a letter to subscribers.
The new Schweiz am Wochenende, which will appear in the design of the Sonnntagszeitung, will be in subscribers' mailboxes for the first time next Saturday. According to AZ Medien, the edition will be more comprehensive than AZ Nordwestschweiz on Saturday and at the same time offer more than Schweiz am Sonntag. The new weekend newspaper combines the strengths of today's Saturday and Sunday editions, it says on the front page of the last issue of Schweiz am Sonntag. It will be printed with three extensive bundles: News, Politics, Economy, Big Interview and Opinion, Regions and Sports, Culture, Life, Knowledge, Travel and Lifestyle.
Competitive market
The current events on Sunday are not to be completely left by the wayside. The media company promises that the digital edition of Switzerland on Weekends will be updated for download. Even after the end of Schweiz am Sonntag, the reader and, above all, the advertising market will remain competitive on the seventh day of the week. In German-speaking Switzerland, SonntagsZeitung, SonntagsBlick, NZZ am Sonntag as well as Zentralschweiz am Sonntag (Luzerner Zeitung) and Ostschweiz am Sonntag (St. Galler Tagblatt) will continue to be published. (SDA)
