From today, the Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich will also be published as an e-paper in addition to the printed edition. This means that all readers with Internet access have round-the-clock access to their personal copy. As can be seen from the current issue of the weekly publication, the newspaper will also be available to listen to in two weeks' time. The free offer can be found on the Tagblatt website. The current front page appears on the home page under the e-paper menu item. Readers can scroll through the edition using the control element at the top of the page. If they click on a newspaper article with the mouse, it is displayed next to it either in the newspaper layout or as a text version with an enlarged image attached.

Out-of-home advertising Affichage has been expanding eastwards with Europlakat for ten years. Affichage took its first steps with Europlakat International (EPI) together with the Austrian out-of-home advertiser Gewista until the latter was taken over by JCDecaux, the world's second-largest out-of-home advertiser. With the entry of the French company, which also holds a 30 percent stake in Affichage, the Eastern European business received a new boost. In the last three years alone, the two partners have invested 60 million Swiss francs each. Today, EPI is present in Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary. two years ago, when Affichage bought a small company in Greece on its own initiative and also established itself in Romania, a certain emancipation process began to take shape. At the end of February 2007, the time had come: Affichage decided to leave EPI (WW 08/07). This decision was taken "unanimously" by the Affichage Board of Directors, emphasizes Affichage CEO Christian Kauter. EPI partner Jean-François Decaux, who sits on the Affichage Board of Directors, also supports this strategy.
Kauter justifies the separation primarily with the introduction of the new IFRS accounting standard, under which an investment can only be consolidated if more than 50 percent of the shares are held. "Neither JCDecaux nor we could consolidate our EPI joint venture, which is why we are splitting the markets," says Kauter. He makes no secret of the fact that this also gives Affichage more independence.
The demerger is to be completed on July 1, 2007: JCDecaux will receive Slovenia, Kosovo and Croatia and will focus on the north-east, as the Group already has a presence in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia. Affichage, on the other hand, will gain Hungary, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria and, with Romania and Greece, will focus more on the south and south-east.
The new starting position is advantageous for the Swiss out-of-home advertiser: it is already in pole position in Serbia, Bosnia and Greece, where it has a market share of over 60% in both backlit poster sites (citylight posters, CLP) and large billboards (GF). It is also the only provider with national coverage in these countries. In Montenegro, Affichage is the second-largest provider, and in Romania it is in third place.
In Hungary and Bulgaria, where Affichage is not (yet) at the forefront, the prospects are also good. This is because the out-of-home advertising markets in these countries are so fragmented that consolidation, in which Affichage is actively involved, is progressing rapidly. For example, the number of providers in Hungary has fallen from 17 to 8 since 2003; in Bulgaria there were 25 and today there are 20. As Affichage is one of the larger international players in these countries, the company hardly has to compete with stronger players.
Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO), the number one worldwide, is present in Hungary and Greece - but only in niche markets. It is therefore particularly important to keep an eye on the German AWK and Wall as well as the Austrian EPA Group. Thomas Rainer, currently CEO of EPI and in future active at Affichage, confirms: "The situation suits us, as we are mainly competing in these countries against local companies that have to make do without international expertise."
Posters are in demandIn addition to the acquisition opportunities, Southeast Europe is also interesting for Affichage due to its rapid economic growth (see interview on page 15). The fact that the poster medium's share of the advertising market is usually well above the European average makes these countries even more attractive. Out-of-home advertising has a market share of 17.7% in Bosnia, 11% in Serbia and 9-10% in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Only Greece, with a market share of 6%, falls slightly behind.
And the future looks bright: With the purchase of the largest Greek outdoor advertising company at the beginning of the year, Affichage will be able to multiply last year's modest sales in Greece in 2007. In Hungary, the Budapest city contract won in 2006 will come to fruition for the first time. And in eastern Romania, where Affichage is active, Kauter senses good opportunities for expansion into western Romania. Tenders are also pending in the capital cities of Bucharest and Sofia. However, it is still uncertain when these will take place. Affichage is also active in northern Italy, where progress is also being made.
Markus Knöpfli
 

As part of the further expansion of its innovative offering, RehaClinic has entrusted Wirz Corporate with consulting in various areas of marketing and corporate communications. The clinics formerly known as Rheuma- und Rehabilitationsklinik Zurzach, Rehabilitationsklinik Freihof Baden and Höhenklinik Braunwald now operate under the name RehaClinic. An independent brand name was created for the new outpatient clinics RehaA Lenzburg and RehaA Zug.

Since March, Mediabox Print has been responsible for the advertising business of the titles Bewegungsmelder and What's up. The collaboration with Channelmedia has ended with immediate effect, as was announced on Tuesday (see ). In future, the marketer of magazines and ambient media will concentrate more on the communication platforms of the lifestyle magazine Faces and the youth magazine Party News.

Poster Instead of continuing to advertise their poster sites in Germany separately, the outdoor advertisers JCDecaux and Wall are founding a joint marketing company. With 160,000 advertising spaces, it will become the number two in the German poster market, behind market leader Ströer. Despite equal representation, JCDecaux will have the say in the new company, as the French company already holds a 35 percent stake in Wall. JCDecaux had previously sold two companies in Berlin and Düsseldorf to Wall, while Wall gave it its Dutch and Russian subsidiaries as well as a majority stake in the US business.
 
JCDecaux's increased influence at Wall should benefit the Swiss outdoor advertising company Affichage, as it competes with Wall in Romania and Bulgaria (see page 15). JCDecaux, which also holds a 30 percent stake in Affichage, is more likely to dampen this competition. Back in 2006, he brought the two together at the Budapest poster competition, in which they jointly won a share.

Fashion Many men think little of squeezing into a suit every day. There are days when they can not avoid. At weddings. Men's Globe dramatizes that on an ad. The bridal ad appeared in the NZZ am Sonntag on March 4. And the gentlemen willing to get married then presumably appeared in Herren- Globus on Monday.

The Zurich-based communications and business consultancy Hirzel Neef Schmid Konsulenten has brought Jürg Wildberger on board as a partner. His consulting activities focus on the development of communication strategies, consulting in the media sector and supporting change processes. Wildberger has broad journalistic and entrepreneurial experience. After studying economics at the University of Zurich, he worked as a business journalist at Finanz und Wirtschaft and then in a managerial position at the Berner Zeitung. In 1995, he was the first editor-in-chief of the newly founded news magazine Facts and later became editor-in-chief of Weltwoche. He was deputy editor-in-chief of the "European Business Channel" and founded the Swiss television news magazine "10 vor 10" in 1990. From 1998 to 2002, he ran TV3, the first private television station in Switzerland to offer a full program. Finally, he was co-owner and managing director of Voice Publishing, which is active in the field of interactive voice and mobile data communication.

From April, the Swiss will be able to receive the English-language program of the television channel Al Jazeera. Despite concerns on the part of the SVP, the Federal Council is refraining from exercising censorship.cablecom wants to and is allowed to include the English-language version of Al Jazeera in its digital offering. The broadcasts of executions of innocent hostages are particularly controversial. According to a report by the news agency SDA, however, the Federal Council considers censorship to be unlawful and is therefore refraining from preventive content control. If program regulations under international law are violated, it is up to the Federal Office of Communications to take measures.
At the beginning of the month, the Federal Council decided to increase the number of analog must-carry channels to 25, in line with Cablecom's wishes. From April, the expanded digital offering can be received using a Mediabox. In addition to Al Jazeera, around 90 other channels will be part of Cablecom's digital offering.

Grisons-based private broadcaster Radio Grischa has left the Association of Swiss Private Radio Stations (VSP). Radio Grischa believes that Eastern Switzerland is not represented in the Mediapulse research foundation because it was not nominated by the VSP. Three radio stations that belong to the VSP and are recommended to the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) by the association are entitled to a seat. If the Graubünden station is not recommended to DETEC for election, it has no chance of winning one of the three seats. Radio Grischa therefore sees no point in remaining a member of the VSP.
According to Persoenlich.com, the members of the VSP have given priority to the Bernese Oberland radio station BeO. It is not possible to represent the whole of Switzerland in the foundation anyway. DETEC's decisions are expected at the end of March.

Swiss TXT is repositioning itself as SRG's multimedia competence center. This was confirmed by the SRG Board of Directors in a press release on Tuesday. The operation and marketing of traditional teletext for SF, TSR and TSI will remain one of the company's core tasks, but will be supplemented by additional services. The Biel-based SRG subsidiary has previously unrecognized expertise, as detailed in a press release. With its new corporate strategy, Swiss TXT is looking to exploit its know-how and technology in the areas of mobile and internet solutions, automated content processing and distribution, as well as interactive TV.
In addition to its own cross-media communication solutions, Swiss TXT will market all of SRG's multimedia content for business customers in future. Within the Group, the company will take on an advisory role in these areas, develop corresponding applications and offer services. In addition, Swiss TXT will continue to coordinate and produce subtitling for the hearing impaired on behalf of SRG.

The editor-in-chief of the Indonesian Playboy may have to spend time behind bars for publishing lewd material: the magazine shows ladies with bare legs and low décolletés, which does not sit well with some devout Muslims. The public prosecutor's office is demanding a sentence of two years. Erwin Arnada had caused confusion in society through his publication and could therefore damage the country's morals. The defendant, on the other hand, defended himself by pointing out that, unlike other editions, Indonesian Playboy does not show photos of naked women. There are also other men's magazines on Indonesian newsstands that show far more naked skin. During the trial on Tuesday, indignant protesters demonstrated outside the gates of the court in Jakarta. The magazine has been under fire since its launch: Critics had already attacked the editorial building in the capital after last April, whereupon the magazine moved its headquarters from Jakarta to the Hindu-majority island of Bali.

The Thalwil-based company A. Koller is integrating the Swiss graphic arts division of Typon Imaging as of May 1, 2007, which is thus leaving this division. The acquisition includes 20 employees as well as the distribution of the entire range of consumables (printing plates, films and papers, coatings, pressroom chemicals, blankets, various auxiliary products for printing) and the sale of prepress solutions with the associated services. The two parties have agreed not to disclose the acquisition price. A. Koller is thus further expanding its leading position in Switzerland as a provider of complete prepress solutions, according to a media release. With the acquisition of Typon Imaging's graphic arts business, the company is strengthening its market position while expanding its offering with a full range of consumables.
A. Koller will now operate in German-speaking Switzerland at the Thalwil and Krauchthal sites. A branch office will also be operated in French-speaking Switzerland. The entire systems business with sales, technical services, hotline and spare parts service will be consolidated at the existing company headquarters in Thalwil. The consumables business will be managed in Krauchthal, for which the existing premises have been leased on a long-term basis.
For Typon Imaging, this step meant an exit from the graphic market, in which the company had been active since 1937, mainly with the sale of graphic films. With acquisitions and the takeover of commercial agencies, Typon was able to compensate for the collapse of the traditional film business with an expanded product range. In the business with systems and services for prepress, however, it was not possible to achieve the necessary critical size, the statement continues. In the future, Typon will focus on its existing X-ray products business and further expand it.