SRG and the European Football Association Uefa with its marketing agency Team Marketing have extended the contract for broadcasting the Uefa Champions League on SF, TSR, RSI and HD Suisse as well as on SRG radio stations until 2011/2012. According to the press release, the SRG television stations have improved conditions with the new agreement: In addition to the individual language-regional selection of matches with three first picks on each match day, the live offer will be expanded from 25 matches to 34 matches per season. The platform-neutral rights also enable the games to be broadcast via the Internet and cell phones for the first time.

TBS Identity has created the annual magazine "365°" for the international engineering, planning and consulting firm Ernst Basler + Partner, based in Zurich, Zollikon and Potsdam. With the magazine character, the agency gave the document a form that does justice to the diversity of the individual projects and integrates the variety into a formal clarity, according to a press release.
TBS Identity is responsible for corporate communications in the print sector, designed the company website and created the autobiographical work of company founder Ernst Basler, which was published on his eightieth birthday.
Responsible at Ernst Basler + Partner AG: Bruno Basler and Danielle Lalive d'Epinay. Responsible at TBS Identity: Christian Tobler (CD), Kathrin Treml (AD), Heidi Röllin (project management), Nadia Ermert (polygraphy), Heini Fümm, Zurich; Christian Senti, Zurich; Cornelius Zoch, Berlin (photography).

Rosarot Ideennetz realized the communication for the V.I.P. exhibition "Export" for Credit Suisse. Not only was the packaging designed to be suitable for export, but the letter inside was also made of real packaging material. In addition to the eye-catching wooden box, the personalization under the transparent air cushion - the air cushion that everyone likes to crush between their fingers for minutes on end - was also astonishing. According to a press release from the agency, many of the people contacted took up the invitation.
The "Export" vernissage was aimed at exponents from business associations, decision-makers from the worlds of science and business, and media representatives. Credit Suisse positioned itself as a globally networked partner with cross-border expertise.
Responsible at Credit Suisse: Charly Suter, Senior Project Manager Marketing Private & Business Banking Switzerland. Responsible at Rosarot Ideennetz: René Karrer, Andreas Steiner ( idea, text, concept), Stéphanie Hofstetter (AD).

The Sonntagszeitung is once again a sponsor of this year's Orange Cinema and, together with Advico Y&R and Markenfilm, has created a new Babushka spot exclusively for the event. This time the spot takes a closer look at Barack Obama. While he is putting his ambitious economic rescue program into effect before Congress, the Sonntagszeitung reveals what the new political superhero's room for manoeuvre really is.
> To the spot
The spot can be seen in the Orange Cinemas Zurich and Bern from July 16 and 23 respectively.
Responsible at the Sunday newspaper: Diego Quintarelli (Publishing Director), Andrea Waltzer (Advertising Director). Responsible at Advico Y&R: Philipp Skrabal (ECD), Christian Bobst (CD/AD), Martin Stulz (text), Lukas Wietlisbach (graphics), Pablo Koerfer, Manuela Wettstein (consulting). Responsible at Markenfilm: Uli Scheper (production), UPP Praha (post-production), JingleJungle (sound).

A blogger in the USA has been sentenced to one year's probation and two months' house arrest for distributing unreleased Guns'n'Roses songs. Although the loss was estimated at the equivalent of 265,000 euros according to Netzzeitung.de, he does not have to pay a fine or compensation - apparently the judge was softened by the remorse he showed: He had not wanted to harm anyone, the defendant said. Rather, he had wanted to promote the musicians because he was a big fan. Whoever wants to believe that - the judge must have believed him.
The blogger got off lightly once again. It remains to be seen whether the fellow who, according to the press release, downloaded over 3,000 high-resolution images from the website of the British art museum National Portrait Gallery and uploaded them to the free-to-use Wikimedia Commons image archive will suffer the same fate. In any case, the museum has taken legal action against him. Perhaps the fact that he lives in the USA will save him - unlike in the UK, photographs of works of art are not protected by copyright there.

Switzerland is planning to completely monitor the internet traffic of suspects. This is according to confidential documents leaked to the WOZ. From August 1, all Internet providers in Switzerland must meet the technical requirements to be able to forward their customers' Internet data to the authorities in the event of suspicion. According to reports, the Swiss authorities will in future be able to track all of a user's activities on the Internet, whether it be checking e-mails, making phone calls via Skype or the last order from an online store. However, surveillance is only permitted if criminal proceedings have already been initiated against the accused person.
According to the press release, "real-time monitoring of all broadband Internet connection communications" is planned, in particular to combat sexual offenses and terrorism. However, online searches would also be permitted for less serious offenses such as breach of the peace, fraud or violence and threats against public officials. The legal basis for this is the Federal Act on the Surveillance of Postal and Telecommunications Traffic (Büpf). Swiss providers now have until the end of June 2010 to fulfill the technical requirements in accordance with the specifications of the "Surveillance of Postal and Telecommunications Traffic" (Üpf) service. According to the wishes of Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, the Üpf is to check the implementation of the requirements and issue certificates if they are met.
In any case, providers are very skeptical about the new regulations. A representative of a Zurich Internet provider told the WOZ that the whole thing is a "paper tiger that causes an incredible amount of work" and entails high costs. Smaller companies in particular would be at a disadvantage as the technology would have to be provided by the provider itself. Although the state has announced that it will pay a flat-rate compensation fee to providers if a customer is checked, it is uncertain how much this will be.

The investigation into the controversial RTL docusoap "Erwachsen auf Probe" has been closed. No violations of criminal law were found in the series, in which babies are placed in the care of other teenagers. The judiciary opened the investigation a week ago.
The series, which consists of eight parts, has been broadcast weekly on RTL since June 3. In the run-up to the show, over 60 associations protested against the program. Several companies have canceled their advertising for "Erwachsen auf Probe".

For the fifth time in a row, TBS Identity designed the campaign for the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, which is celebrating its thirtieth edition this year. The Zurich-based communications and design agency collaborated with artists Geoffrey Cottenceau and Romain Rousset. In their photographs, the young Lausanne duo stage scenes of improvised transformation in a humorous and whimsical way, thus capturing one of the basic themes of this year's festival.
TBS Identity realized the campaign for posters at poster sites and on public transport, advertisements and e-boards. The program guide and the practical pocket booklet were given a new design for the anniversary. TBS Identity is also responsible for the design and programming of the Website which can be used to book tickets online.
Responsible at the Zurich Theater Spektakel: Werner Hegglin, Cornelia Howald, Sandro Lunin (Head of Zürcher Theater Spektakel), Esther Schmid (Communications and Public Relations). Responsible at TBS Identity: Michael Schädelin (consulting), Daniel Leber (CD/AD), Kathrin Treml (AD/screen design), Zahida Huber (web programming), Nadia Ermert (polygraphy), Marlen Gassler (project management).

Heusser Communicates has created a multimedia magazine for the Hirslanden private hospital group. The "Hirslanden emagazine" appeals to all of the user's senses, according to a press release from the agency. The media experience is intended to help the reader understand complex medical topics. At the same time, the "Hirslanden" brand is brought to life. Animated illustrations, graphics, films and plenty of freedom in navigation are intended to provide information quickly and in an entertaining way.
Responsible at Hirslanden Head Office, Zurich: Julien Buro (Director of Marketing), Nicole Bächler (Marketing and Communication, Project Management). Responsible at Heusser Communicates AG, Zurich: Thomas Heusser (consulting), Gina Orsatti (AD), Moritz Köhler and Manuel Fritschi (graphics/programming).

Following the transfer of the household and retail panel to Nielsen and the associated concentration, CEO Peter Meyer is reorganizing the Management Board of GfK Switzerland in a market-oriented manner after 30 days in office. The new members of the Management Board are the former department heads Peter Fickentscher (Retail & Technology), Thomas Kenel (Media) and Roland Rosset (Custom Research).
At the same time, Peter Meyer is arranging his succession as CFO. Responsibility for Finance, HR, IT and Services will be transferred to Martin Seith with effect from July 1, 2009. Martin Seith, a graduate mathematician with a degree in business administration, has been with GfK Switzerland since 2008. Previously, Martin Seith was CFO/COO of a German and Swiss AG and Managing Director of a German GmbH.

In September, Startbahnwest will be saying goodbye to its old location on Badenerstrasse and moving to Kreis 5. According to the press release, Startbahnwest can expect "a first-class swimming pool (Limmat), an incredible wellness area (Migros Fitnesspark) and relaxation lounges (plastic deckchairs) with a view over the snowy peaks of Switzerland (Üetliberg)" at its new location. - Drinking well has always been one of Startbahnwest's strengths.
The new office at Hardturmstrasse 76, directly on Escher-Wyss-Platz, will be occupied on September 14.

The Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan has introduced internet censorship for fear of criticism from opponents of the government. Authoritarian President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a law to this effect. This means that opinion pieces in blogs and chats, for example, are to be placed under special control, as Russian media reported on Wednesday according to SDA.
According to the Moscow newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, the leadership in Astana wants to prevent dissidents from quickly organizing protests via the Internet, as they did in Moldova at the beginning of April. Kazakhstan is due to take over the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2010.
The decree puts the internet on an equal footing with other media, most of which are loyal to the state. The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the "regulation of the internet" as a restriction of freedom of expression.
Holly Cartner, the HRW director responsible for Central Asia, called on the Kazakh government to overturn the law and implement the democratic reforms called for by the West.