Urs Leuthard’s successor as host and editorial director of the SF program «Arena» has been named: Reto Brennwald, who has been hosting «Rundschau» since 2001, will host the political talk show starting in the spring of 2008. Swiss Television announced this on Thursday. Urs Leuthard, for his part, will move over to host «Rundschau,» so the two are swapping roles. Marianne Gilgen will take over as editor-in-chief of «Arena.» She has been an editor and producer on the show since 2001. According to Swiss Television, a relaunch of the program is planned for the end of the 2008 summer break. There is also a personnel change at the science magazine «Einstein,» which is also broadcast on SF 1: Silvia Zwygart will take over as editorial director. The 42-year-old currently works as a producer and deputy editorial director at «Einstein» and will assume her new role on January 1, 2008.

 The Ticino winter sports resort of Airolo used two women kissing in the snow to attract tourists in Italy. But the people of Ticino didn't like this at all, and the controversy started (see ). Marco Solari, the president of TicinoTurismo, was particularly appalled by the obscenity used to advertise the ski resort in the staunchly Catholic Ticino. However, the PR agency responsible stuck to the campaign - the Italians are more open to this kind of smooching than the Ticino people. But now they seem to have capitulated: The lesbian advertisement is being withdrawn with immediate effect, as reported by the SDA on Thursday. The message, which seems to be well received on the Italian market, is simply not understood in Ticino. That would sound logical, given that the two countries are different. The only question is the cultural differences between Italy and Ticino. In any case, it can't be down to the denomination. Nor can it be the language. And probably not the climate either. Perhaps the Italians are just a little better at admitting their preference for the dolce vita than their Swiss counterparts?

 The business newspaper *Bilanz*, published by Axel Springer Switzerland, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. To mark the occasion, a special anniversary edition will be published on December 7, 2007, featuring a retrospective on three decades of Swiss economic history. According to a press release issued on Thursday, the anniversary cover is designed as a one-time special feature and features the signatures of leading figures in the Swiss business world from the past three decades. Among those who participated in the initiative were Christoph Blocher and SNB President Jean-Pierre Roth. The 148-page issue, which currently has over 233,000 readers, is the 391st edition of the fortnightly publication. Weltwoche AG, which was then part of the Jean Frey Publishing Group, founded Bilanz in 1977. In January 2007, Axel Springer’s Swiss subsidiary acquired a majority stake in Jean Frey AG.

 At its most recent meeting, the Association of Swiss Free Newspapers (VSGZ) admitted eight new members. The association now has 18 members, according to VSGZ President Thomas Akermann. The new members are the Baslerstab, the Berner Bär, the Bündner Anzeiger, the Quartier-Echo (Zurich), the Stadtanzeiger Winterthur, and the Zuger Presse, as well as, in French-speaking Switzerland, the Arc Hébdo and the Courrier Neuchâtelois. According to Akermann, one goal of the strengthened association is to distinguish itself more clearly from commuter newspapers in the future. He explained that market saturation—and, above all, the waste problem caused by commuter newspapers—is increasingly damaging the previously positive image of VSGZ members.
The current VSGZ members, some of whom have been with the association for many years, are the Anzeiger Luzern/Luzerner Woche, Biel-Bienne, the Berner Landbote, the Fridolin (Glarus), the Obersee Nachrichten, the Schaffhauser Bock, the Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich, the Wochenblatt für das Emmental und Entlebuch, as well as GHI (Geneva) and Lausanne Cités in French-speaking Switzerland. Akermann himself is the director of the Anzeiger Luzern/Luzerner Woche.
Markus Knöpfli

The McCann Erickson Zurich agency has developed a campaign for the children’s aid organization Terre des hommes featuring three themes inspired by the stories of the Brothers Grimm. They convey the message that the suffering of children in the Third World is no fairy tale. The campaign aims to help recruit sponsors whose donations will lift street children out of poverty and support projects combating child labor and child trafficking.
The images depict scenes from well-known fairy tales, albeit in a modified form. For example, a dark-skinned Cinderella is shown toiling away at household chores. The caption reads: «And if she didn’t die of exhaustion, she’s still being enslaved today.».
Alongside the print campaign, a themed microsite was created where prospective sponsors can learn more about Terre des hommes’ projects and sign up to become sponsors.
Contact at Terre des hommes:
Chantal Hodler and Andreas Herbst. McCann Erickson team: Peter Rettinghausen, Brigit Bauer (Creative Director), Peter Rettinghausen (Copywriter), Brigit Bauer (Art Director), Susanne Jungbluth (Group Account Director), Luzia Zurfluh (Junior Account Executive). Internet: Netvertising.

 The large number of free newspapers discarded on streets and in public squares results in additional cleanup costs that cities must bear. Cities are now demanding that publishers of free newspapers pay an advance waste disposal fee, as reported by the SDA. Littering in cities caused by free newspapers is becoming an increasingly serious problem, said Urs Geissmann, director of the Swiss Cities Association, on Wednesday evening during the Swiss TV program «10vor10.» However, a large portion of the disposal costs is not paid by those responsible but by taxpayers. New solutions are now needed. The disposal fee is estimated at around two rappen per copy. He hopes the publishers will voluntarily comply.
However, the Tamedia publishing group—which, together with the publishers of the *Basler Zeitung* and *Berner Zeitung*, publishes the free newspapers *20 Minuten* and *News*—rejects the demand. Tamedia spokesperson Christoph Zimmer explained on the television program that the company is already actively contributing to solving the waste problem.
With the launch of the free newspaper *News* on Wednesday, there are now five commuter newspapers in German-speaking Switzerland. According to SDA, the combined circulation of all five titles is 1.6 million copies.

 A newly designed umbrella brand will now accompany the AZ Medien Group’s range of products and services. According to a press release issued on Thursday, the new umbrella brand logo will be used in particular by service divisions that provide overarching services. These include, for example, corporate communications, human resources, finance, and IT. The product brands of the various daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, and digital media outlets that are part of the AZ Medien Group will continue to take center stage in the public eye. The umbrella brand is intended solely to play a supporting role and will remain in the background relative to the products. According to the press release, the introduction of the umbrella brand—as part of a unified corporate identity across internal and external communication channels—is scheduled to take place by the middle of next year.

 On Thursday, the SRG and its partners presented the «Pacte Multimédia» award for the first time to promote innovation in the field of new communication technologies. From among approximately 100 multimedia projects submitted from all of Switzerland’s language regions, the jury—composed of prominent figures from the fields of information technology, education, and media—selected the winners. The three grand prizes, each worth 20,000 francs, went to Olivier Crochat and his team for the interactive web agenda Mixin.com, to Thomas Lehmann for the online game Reverse/Foreward, and to Dominik Petko and Thomas Moser for the virtual photo album Schweiz.ch – suissr.ch – svizzr.ch. Richard Charrier, Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, and Laeticia Dosch, as well as Gianluca Giuliani and Danila Nussio, each received 10,000 Swiss francs as a recognition award.The ’Pacte Multimédia’ award and the internet platform Pactemultimedia.ch are components of the Pacte Multimédia, signed in the spring of 2007, a partnership between SRG, the State Secretariat for Education and Research (SBF), the Federal Office for Vocational Education and Training (BBT), and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education (EDK). According to Thursday’s press release, the goal of this partnership is to work together to promote innovation, scientific research in the media sector, and education.

 Silvio Lebrument, managing director of Südostschweiz Radio/TV, wants to renew the radio license despite competition from Schawinski and Co. (see ). He had expected additional license applications, Lebrument said in response to a query from the SDA. However, the competition will have a hard time, as it is up against a renowned local radio station. The Südostschweiz Group operates the radio stations Grischa and Engiadina. In the new application, the two stations are combined into a single license. According to Lebrument, Südostschweiz has also submitted a license application for Tele Südostschweiz to the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom).

 The Ruf Lanz agency has signed poultry producer Frifag as a new client. The Zurich-based agency prevailed against three other agencies in the pitch, according to a press release. According to Frifag Managing Director Andi Schmal, Ruf Lanz impressed with its efficiency in resource allocation and creative implementation proposals. And, of course, personal chemistry also played a role in the decision. 

 
Press: The New York Times has fully integrated its print and online news, including in terms of physical space. 
Just a few years ago, the staffs of the print and online editions of many American newspapers generally viewed each other with suspicion. Driven by jealousy, they tried to secure their positions and avoid potential obsolescence. But in the last two years alone, industry giants such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and The New York Times have announced plans to merge—or at least coordinate—the editorial teams of both editions—a step considered essential for the survival of newspaper publishers.One of the newspapers where this integration has progressed the furthest is the New York Times. It began the process in 2000 and completed the merger of print and online operations this year—at least in terms of physical space—with its move to the newly built New York Times Tower.
«We finally have enough space so that our web producers can sit right in the middle of the other editorial teams,» says Richard Meislin, managing editor of the online edition. «We’re trying to encourage people to think beyond terms like »newspaper editor« or »online editor.’ They’re editors of their respective sections, whether for the print or online edition.” Correspondents both at home and abroad were the first to adapt to the integration. “They quickly realized that the people they’re reporting on also find out about it in the online edition,” says Meislin.
The core of the newspaper’s editorial staff is located on the lower three floors of the Times Tower. These floors are connected by internal staircases. About 40 web producers are scattered across these three floors, right next to the editors from the news, domestic, foreign, and city desks, allowing them to overhear every conference and conversation taking place between the cube-shaped desk «cubicles.» Another 20 online editors are located on the ninth floor, where the web designers are based. The offices, which are enclosed by a glass wall, are designed to convey a sense of openness and transparency: Many of them do not have assigned seats; instead, anyone who needs to make a private or confidential phone call or call a spontaneous meeting can use them temporarily.
The incorporation of multimedia elements into content design appears to be less systematic than spatial integration. «We’re trying to break down the barriers of the usual »who does what« and want to get journalists from the web and print editions to collaborate on shaping a story,» says Fiona Spruill, head of the online newsroom. For example, photographers contribute video footage to coverage just as much as reporters do, and web producers edit the content just as much as the writers do. Sometimes reporters film themselves—for instance, when they’re trying out a new tech gadget or touring a particularly expensive property—and you can hear them narrating the story as well. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re able to edit the content themselves. «Multimedia is part of the reporting process,» says Meislin. “That doesn’t necessarily mean we have a huge number of reporters making their own videos.”
Anyone wishing to apply for a position as a web producer at The Times must have not only a background in journalism but also in-depth technical knowledge of web publishing. Blogs are playing an increasingly important role in this regard. «We’re fortunate to have an extremely well-informed, passionate, and opinionated readership,» says Spruill. «By giving them the opportunity to post their comments alongside the blogs, we demonstrate just how smart our readers are.» Some editorial sections, such as the film and travel pages, encourage readers to submit their own movie reviews or travel tips. Even photos taken by readers—such as those documenting the latest developments in Pakistan—have been published online, further strengthening reader loyalty to the paper.
The removal of paywalls for New York Times columnists as part of «Times Select» likely had the same effect. According to the media research firm Nielsen NetRatings, the Times had 17.5 million unique visitors online in October, 19 percent more than the previous month. In an international comparison of newspapers, however, the Times did not rank at the top. The top spot in October went to the British Guardian, which launched its U.S. online edition, Guardian America, that same month. With this expansion, the newspaper reached 18.4 million visitors worldwide.
Gerti Schön, New York
New York Times Tower, in April of this year
The editorial staff of The New York Times moved out of its historic headquarters in Times Square—named after the newspaper—in Manhattan. In November, the staff moved into a new office tower just a few blocks south of there.  The slender, 52-story glass skyscraper was designed by the Genoese architect Renzo Piano. The newspaper occupies the lower 28 floors of the New York Times Tower; the upper half is owned by a real estate company. (gs)

 The overall campaign to promote France is now in the hands of the Y&R Group Switzerland. The newly restructured advertising agency prevailed in a competitive pitch and secured the entire account for Maison de la France en Suisse. According to a press release from the agency—which now consists of the three pillars Advico Young & Rubicam, Futurecom, and Wunderman—the proposed creative concept won over French tourism officials. The Y&R team is already working on implementing a cross-media campaign featuring brochures, promotional activities, and online initiatives.