The Zehnder scoreboards may have cost less than 10 million francs

The newspaper refers to the opening balance sheet of the company Regiomedia, which was founded in April to separate the regional titles from Zehnder Print - and thus make them ready for sale.

In the balance sheet, the value of all securities would amount to a maximum of CHF 14 million. After deducting a value adjustment of CHF 9 million, the net balance sheet value would be CHF 5 million. This total value does not include Zuger Woche, which is shown separately in the balance sheet.

Assuming that the 2016 profit of CHF 830,000 for the entire Zehnder Print company, which also includes the printing and real estate business, was primarily generated by the regional titles, Schweiz am Wochenende estimates the purchase price at less than CHF 10 million "according to standard valuation practice for print titles". If the profit share of the newspaper business is smaller, the purchase price is likely to have been even lower, it is assumed.

This puts the supposed increase in power of the "Blocher media empire" into perspective. At the time of the takeover, the BaZ holding company announced that it would become "the clear number four" in the print sector after Tamedia, Ringier and the NZZ Group. This statement refers to the WEMF-certified readership figures. In terms of total circulation, BaZ-Holding is now number two after Tamedia.

Will the next purchases follow soon?

However, the shopping spree could soon continue. Markus Somm, BaZ editor-in-chief and co-owner of BaZ-Holding, is said to have announced to the staff at the internal presentation of the Zehnder takeover that Anzeiger will also be established or purchased in the Basel region.

The former sales manager of the Zehnder Group, Giuseppe Nica, has been named as the next potential seller. The latter publishes seventy advertising titles at irregular intervals - including the Basler Woche - with a total circulation of over one million copies.

Schweiz am Wochenende also sees the increase in power of the BaZ holding company as being put into perspective by the fact that it is generally difficult for free newspapers to provide journalistic impetus. Those who expose themselves politically, for example, quickly endanger their existence. In addition, the success model could quickly topple if editorial investments are made.

"Buyers are very aware that our titles do not attract readers and therefore advertisers with national, particularly political, topics," said salesman Andreas Zehnder in the Interview said with the Wiler News.

The media company AZ Medien, to which Schweiz am Wochenende belongs, publishes its own free newspapers with a circulation of 440,000 copies. These include the Berner Landbote and the Lenzburger Bezirksanzeiger. (hae)