The Swiss Association of Single Mothers and Fathers (SVAMV) is launching the KindGerecht newspaper. With a circulation of 13,500 copies, it will provide quarterly information about the challenges that single-parent families face on a daily basis. The new newspaper is primarily aimed at the donors who support the families with their contributions, according to a press release. The content includes facts and figures, but also many practical tips and tricks for single mothers and fathers. For example, the first issue addresses the question of how to work successfully with the authorities. The first issue of KindGerecht can be downloaded from the SVAMV website.

The switchover from analog to digital television is occupying the Telecommunications Committee (KVF) of the Council of States. The Commission has submitted an interpellation in order to advance the debate in the small chamber. As the SDA news agency writes in a statement from the parliamentary services, the KVF held a discussion with Cabelcom management and representatives of the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom). It understands the uncertainty of the population regarding the switch-off of analog television channels, but shares the view that the future lies in digital transmission. The Council of States Committee views with some concern the duopoly situation that is emerging in the digital television market between Cablecom and Swisscom with its Bluewin TV. The issue of the set-top boxes required to receive digital TV programs, which have to be purchased or rented, is also unsatisfactory. Other unresolved issues include the privileged treatment of individual channels by the broadcaster, for example with an attractive position in the menu.
The KVF is therefore asking the Federal Council to keep a close eye on developments in technology and competition and to inform the relevant committees at an early stage of any need for legislation. The interpellation is intended to provide an opportunity to discuss the technically and politically sensitive issues in the Council.

Gate24 operator Media Swiss is taking over Scout24 founder Xmedia. The merger of the two companies and their subsidiaries will create a leading Swiss competence center for online marketplaces and cross-media services with over 350 employees, according to a press release. The two companies did not disclose the purchase price. The new company will employ over 350 people, who will continue to work at their existing locations in Flamatt, Urdorf and Geneva. The newly created Media Swiss Group will be managed by Dölf Früh, the previous sole owner of Media Swiss, and the founder and main shareholder of Xmedia, Daniel Grossen. As a media company in the fields of geographic information systems and electronic directories, Media Swiss has been focused on the Swiss market for twenty-three years. Xmedia has been offering cross-media e-business and e-media solutions for eleven years. With the takeover, Media Swiss now holds a 49.9 percent stake in Scout24 Schweiz Holding. Deutsche Telekom continues to hold 50.1 percent.

The Zurich-based agency Assai was the winner of a multi-stage competitive tender and will be responsible for the relaunch of Sonntagszeitung.ch as a partner. According to a press release, there will be more to discover on the website this year. In collaboration with the publishing house management and the Institute for Media and Communication Management at the University of St. Gallen, Assai is realigning the SonntagsZeitung's online presence in terms of strategy, content, visuals and technology. It will be launched in the anniversary year 2007.

The Swiss internet fashion provider Stromberg has commissioned the Zurich agency Fauxpas Grafik to create a new corporate design. As a first step, the business partners are now presenting the new logo. The fashion provider wanted a dynamic and elegant logo, according to a press release. The font design is futuristic, but at the same time has a classic touch. The new logo thus combines all of Stromberg's key characteristics: speed, quality, e-commerce and premium fashion.

The Zurich agency Station has designed and produced the new brand website Beertender.ch for Heineken Switzerland. With the new site, Heineken wants to demonstrate the easy handling of the first beer dispenser for home use, which enables clean and convenient beer dispensing with immediate effect. To increase the anticipation of potential customers, Heineken is offering a tapping game on the website. Station has realized the website, which is available in German and French, in Flash.

Local television station TeleZüri is expanding its team of news presenters. The station is now using Patricia Zuber and Oliver Steffen as fill-ins in the event of bottlenecks and longer-term absences of the previous news presenters. Zuber has been a video journalist at TeleZüri since September 2006. Prior to that, she worked as an editor and head of service at Radio Top. Steffen has been working in the electronic media for 13 years. He was editor-in-chief of Radio Top for four years. For the past two years, he has joined the team as a video journalist and producer of the news program. Steffen will present TeleZüri's ZüriNews for the first time next Saturday. Patricia Zuber will celebrate her premiere as a presenter on Saturday, March 17. In addition to their new responsibilities, the two will continue to work in their existing roles as video journalists and producers.

According to the monthly trend report on the development of the advertising markets in Switzerland by Media Focus, the advertising year 2007 got off to a very good start. Advertising pressure increased by 18.2% in January 2007 compared to January of the previous year.
Internet advertising, television advertising and advertising in the daily press saw above-average growth. However, the other media groups - with the exception of cinema and teletext - also recorded an increase in advertising pressure compared to January of the previous year.
 

The strongest year-on-year growth was recorded in the advertising markets of telecommunications, non-profit campaigns, cosmetics/personal care, food and finance. 

However, the advertising markets for tobacco products and political campaigns declined sharply. 

Two new names appear among the top 30 largest advertisers in Switzerland in January 2007: 1818 Auskunft and Bank-now both make it into the top 20 ranking.
Media Focus has been measuring and recording advertising pressure in the traditional advertising media of print (newspapers/magazines), television, radio, posters, cinema, teletext and the Internet in Switzerland since 1900.

The bfu Swiss Council for Accident Prevention has selected Advico Young & Rubicam's concept for its new "Safety in Sport" campaign. As part of a structured selection process, the bfu, together with the Swiss Insurance Association (SIA), has awarded its communications budget for the "Safety in Sport" campaign, as detailed in a press release. The agency pitch ran from December 2006 to February 2007 and was supported by the management consultancy Vivaldi Partners. In addition to the winner Advico Young & Rubicam, the agencies Contexta, KSB/SJ and Wirz were also involved in the agency pitch.  
Project manager Andrea B. Kammermann is delighted with the winner: "We are convinced that Advico Young & Rubicam's concept will enable us to raise skiers' and snowboarders' awareness of the risks of injury on the slopes." The new campaign will be launched in winter 2007/2008 and will run for three years.

The first and oldest motorcycle magazine Moto Sport Schweiz was published on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 in a new look: The Berlin agency for editorial communication Kircher Burkhardt was entrusted with the relaunch.  
The infographics play an important role in the new design concept. Graphic ratings are also new, making the magazine clearer and more reader-friendly.
 
Moto Sport's website was redesigned at the same time as the magazine. Visually, the website matches the new design of the magazine. The new navigation bar and a completely new full-text search function take users directly to the information they are looking for.
 
Just in time for the relaunch, Moto Sport Switzerland has also entered into a cooperation with the free commuter newspaper 20 Minuten: from now on, the editorial team of the trade magazine will provide up-to-date editorial content for the fortnightly motorcycle pages. There will also be a special on the "Swiss Moto" trade fair, which takes place in Zurich in February.
 
The Moto Sport Switzerland website now also offers an online catalog with all new motorcycles that can currently be purchased in Switzerland. The site offers information on engine performance, throttle capability, price and a brief assessment of the machine by the editorial team.

"Sie und Er", the Sonntags-Blick supplement, launched an all-out attack on German-language Swiss television. Eight members of the editorial team took a critical look at SF's daily offering. Under the title "Tatort Mattscheibe", the program Kassensturz (because of plastic surgeon Peter Meyer-Fürst), Beni Thurnheer's new glasses (Thurnheer looks like one of the Panzerknacker gang, depending on the light) or the weather fairy Cécile Bähler (she is so thin that a clothes rack would have curves against it), among others, get their fat off. The strict jury was also less than pleased with reruns of ski races and old films.  
"She and He" demands its own ideas - "Better one more flop than one idea too few" - entertainment, humor, satire and irony. This should be possible with a budget of 1.5 billion francs. "For us - the paying viewers".

From May, ZDF plans to include an announcement for Muslims and people interested in Islam in the channel's online offering every Friday. The imam and dialog representative of the Turkish-Islamic Institute for Religion in Germany, Bekir Alboga, welcomed this opportunity for a "Word on Friday": "If there is a Word on Sunday, then there should also be a Word on Friday. Alboga hopes that the "Word on Friday" will also be given a fixed slot in the TV program in the long term.  
Now Salomon Korn, Vice President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, is following suit and proposing a "Word on the Sabbath". Korn hopes that all major religious communities will be given the opportunity to present themselves to the media in future.
 
It would be desirable for these concerns to be implemented. At a time when there are too many reports of a clash of civilizations, it would be good if the most diverse religions and cultures could coexist peacefully, at least at the weekend.