On March 24, 2006, the health magazine Komplett Gesund will be published for the first time, giving a voice to both conventional and natural medicine. It is published by the Chur-based media group Südostschweiz and Woodtli, a Zurich-based college for education in holistic medicine. "Our target group is broadly diversified," editor-in-chief Philipp Flury (former producer of "Gesundheit.Sprechstunde") told Werbewoche. "We are attempting a balancing act and want to reach people who work in the healthcare sector. On the other hand, we are addressing all those who want to find out about health issues." The aim is to allow both traditional and natural medicine to have their say on as many topics as possible. Information will be provided from both perspectives. The new magazine aims to carve out a niche for itself in the not exactly virgin market. But isn't the wind blowing hard in the face of alternative medicine at the moment? Flury: "I'm convinced that it's a matter of time before alternative treatments are fully accepted, even by health insurance companies. Perhaps not under the current Minister of Health". The first issue deals with the "Yes to complementary medicine" initiative. "We didn't find anyone who wanted to take a public stance against it," emphasized Flury. 6,000 to 12,000 copies of the magazine will be printed. Printing and distribution will be handled by the Südostschweiz Media Group. It will be sold by subscription and at newsstands. Around 60 pages are planned for the first issue, with 40 reserved for the editorial section and 20 to 25 for advertisements. Two people currently work in the editorial department, and Flury also wants to rely on freelancers. Cross-media considerations have also been considered. For the time being, he is relying on the Internet, which should also guarantee interactivity, which is important to the editorial team. "Of course, I'm also thinking about other things; after all, the publisher Südostschweiz also has other media at its disposal." But nothing is firmly planned at the moment - the magazine has to be launched first.

On behalf of the Federal Council, SRG is building
a nationwide transmitter network for digital terrestrial television by 2008.
Television. In addition to satellite broadcasting, it is thus digitizing
terrestrial broadcasting via antenna. Ticino is the
first region completely: At the end of July, the analog signal
and switched to digital terrestrial television signals (DVB-T or
Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial). DVB-T is to be used under
and sound reception in DVD quality.
As early as August 1, 2003, all residents of the
canton of Ticino, a nationwide digital transmitter network was switched on.
On July 24, 2006, the simulcast phase, i.e. the parallel
supply with analog and digital signals. From
At this time, the TSI 1 and TSI 2 programs in Ticino
terrestrial via antenna can only be received digitally. New are
In the canton of Ticino, on the other hand, the SF 1 and TSR 1 programs will be broadcast again via
antenna can be received. For this, viewers need a small additional device,
a so-called set-top box, between the antenna and the television set
switch. "The additional device costs from 150 francs. These costs must be
be borne by households," explained SRG spokesman Simon Meyer
told Advertising Week. SRG wants to reach the population of Ticino in
inform the public in a broad-based campaign. "Ticino has been
selected as a pioneer on the one hand because it has a sufficiently large and
geographically interesting region. On the other hand, the
Digitization also always in consultation with the surrounding countries
take place. Italy is already quite advanced in this respect, which is why
it made sense to start in Ticino," says Meyer.
The switch to DVB-T primarily affects households in Ticino.
who receive analog television programs via antenna.
For households that receive television programs via cable or satellite
received, nothing changes immediately.
By 2008, SRG will provide the entire country with digital terrestrial coverage and
will gradually discontinue analog terrestrial broadcasting by 2009.
"This is not a purely Swiss phenomenon: the
The European Commission has recommended that analog broadcasting be discontinued by
will be discontinued around 2010," emphasized Meyer. In Switzerland
The introduction of digital terrestrial television will begin this year.
television in northern Switzerland, the cantons of Lucerne and Glarus, in the
Bernese Oberland, Surselva and Central Grisons as well as Gros de Vaud. The
The simulcast phase lasts an average of around two years to allow the
to give the public enough time to convert.

The circulation of newspapers in Germany
fell further last year. With a sold
A total circulation of 27.16 million copies per issue was published in the
700,000 fewer newspapers (2.51 %) were sold in the last quarter of 2005.
than in the same period of the previous year. This is the result of a study published on Wednesday
published by the Zeitungs-Marketing Gesellschaft (ZMG).
The circulation of subscriptions fell by 409,000 copies (2.25 %) to
17.82 million, with individual sales down by 268,000 (3.18 %) to 8.15
million. Ten years ago, the publishers of German daily,
Sunday and weekly newspapers still have around 32.4 million copies per year.
Publication date.

The closing date for entries for the award
"Best of Swiss Web" was postponed from February 3 to February 17, 2006.
postponed. This was decided by the organizers after
many potential participants complained that the registration deadline was too short
was awarded, as reported by Netzwoche. The judging will take place for the sixth
For the second time in a row on the initiative of Simsa (swiss interactive media and
software association) and Netzwoche. The submitted
projects were honored in nine categories. In addition to the "Master of Swiss
Web 2006″, the 70-member jury of experts will select the best pro
category and seal of approval for projects with exemplary character
will be awarded. All winners will be celebrated at an event on May 24, 2006.

The study "M-Payments Making Inroads" on the global market for mobile payments shows that in 2005, more people worldwide used cell phones to make small payments (micro payments). However, cell phone payments have not yet been able to establish themselves as a general means of payment in any market. An international standard has not yet been defined, which is why the rapid pace of development of new solutions has slowed somewhat. The most developed markets worldwide are in Korea, Singapore and Japan, but the Austrians are also at the forefront. Norway, Croatia and Spain follow at a considerable distance. The forecast of the international consulting firm and publisher of the study, Arthur D. Little, is nevertheless extremely optimistic when it comes to predictions.individual solutions are already being used in Switzerland in the areas of parking and ticketing. Mobile payment services for vending machines and parking garages have been available for some time. On December 1, SBB introduced the option of ordering train tickets on a cell phone, but had only sold just over 300 by mid-January. A negligible number in view of the 8.4 million tickets sold in the same period. As reported by Netzwoche, SBB sees these investments as preparation for a sales channel of the future. However, the NZZ am Sonntag criticizes the ordering process as being too cumbersome. Simple, suitable for the masses and secure are the criteria that make an offer a top or flop for the end user. The largest mobile payment project was launched last year by Postfinance with Unisys. The data from the six-month pilot test at seven retailers (Migros, Coop, Interdiscount, SBB, McDonalds, Postshop, Mobile Zone) and 1000 pilot participants are now available. "The PostFinance/Unisys pilot project for payment by cell phone in retail, which ended in mid-January 2006, showed a high level of acceptance among the 1000 pilot users. Two thirds would use the new payment method", says Thomas Kolly from Unisys to Werbewoche. A decision on whether a market launch is imminent will be made in February. The fact that there are still no widespread services in Switzerland is not due to the technology, which is already available, but to the lack of networking between mobile services. Kolly continues: "Services such as mobile payment need to be combined with other mobile services so that they offer real added value for the end user. Additional marketing services such as vouchers would also be attractive for the end user."

For the first time this year, a jury will evaluate the submissions in the Outdoor category. This measure is intended to enable a clearer assessment of the creative achievements in relation to the medium. The works can also be submitted in the print category. According to the communiqué, the ratings achieved in this area will no longer influence the outdoor judging. Argentinian Fernando Vega Olmos, Unilever Worldwide Creative Director of Lowe and President of the VegaOlmosPonce agency in Buenos Aires, will head the outdoor jury at the 2006 Cannes Lions.

The Basel Africa Bibliographies (BAB)
have commissioned Bluegummy Marketing Communications with the revision of their
visual appearance and the website. BAB are a Namibia-based
and Southern Africa with a reference library,
various archives, book publishers and antiquarian bookshops. Work on the new
appearance have already begun and will be completed step by step by
Realized in autumn 2006.

Axel Springer Verlag wants to expand its newspaper business in Poland. In addition to the Group's own tabloid "Fakt", there are market opportunities for another daily newspaper, reports Netzeitung. An editorial team in Warsaw is currently working on the new paper, which is expected to be "a kind of world" in a compact tabloid format with a more conservative orientation. The launch is scheduled for March or early April at the latest, but the title and planned initial circulation have not been announced. A final decision on the realization of the project has not yet been made.

In Germany last year, 138
Acquisitions and investments in the publishing industry the highest value
for years. The number of registered transactions rose
by more than 40 % compared to the previous year. The total value of the
transactions increased significantly compared to 2004. Cross Media
Consulting in its "Transaction Monitor Publishing". 2005
A series of prominent transactions characterized the events, such as
the sale of the WAZ stake in RTL Group to Bertelsmann, the
Takeover of the Berlin publishing house by financial investors or the withdrawal
from Gruner + Jahr in the USA. As in previous years, the
almost exclusively large takeovers, while the large publishing houses
small acquisitions mainly from small and medium-sized publishers
were carried out. The share of pure title and program purchases
on the other hand, fell. Publishers are apparently increasingly willing to
Sustainable strategic growth investments in the existing
business, but also in complementary media formats, target groups or
new geographical markets. This excludes Cross Media Consulting
of the study. International integration has gained significant momentum
gained: Both the purchases of German publishers abroad and the
Takeovers by foreigners in Germany have increased compared to the previous year.
tripled. As in the previous year, the specialist information
the largest share in previous years (42 transactions), followed by the
book trade (22) and special/general interest publishers (15).

Advertising agencies in Germany have
Problems finding qualified staff. More and more agency heads
complain that they do not have suitable employees with professional experience.
as Werben & Verkaufen reports. The demand for
The demand for labor is rising again in the agencies: According to the latest figures from the
Central Association of the German Advertising Industry (ZAW) were published in the
media experts, consultants, art directors and art directors.
or copywriters, but often without the desired success.
This shortage is attributed to the pressure to save money, which
agencies until recently. As a result, according to W&V
too little for the training of its own employees.

The NZZ is committed to young talent
the media scene and now offers the exclusive opportunity to benefit from the knowledge and
to benefit from the experience of renowned speakers.
benefit. "Media Views" is a five-day workshop for media planners
with two to five years of professional experience, who will start on March 17, 2006 in
three units, two of which are in the "Panorama Resort" in Feusisberg,
will take place.
 
Agency managers from 18 media agencies in German-speaking Switzerland select
team to appoint a media planner who will be responsible for the
should be given the opportunity to experience the "media views".
 
Renowned experts such as Wolfgang J. Koschnick (specialist author), Petra Kruse
(Managing Director pilot media Munich), Beat Mühlemann (Head of
Marketing and Communication of the Federation of Migros Cooperatives) et al.
will speak on the topics of media strategy, international trends and
Innovations.
 
"Media Views" is to take place annually and thus create a sustainable
contribute to increasing the attractiveness of the media industry.

From February, the Swiss furniture store will have a modernized appearance, no longer as "Möbel Pfister", but as "Pfister". The repositioning, which the company says it has been working on over the past few years, will now be supported and promoted with a new brand identity. "We have realized in market research that the image of our consumers no longer corresponds to our self-image," CEO Heinz Fankhauser told Werbewoche. The old 20-year-old brand has had its day; the new, modern brand is intended to convey the new image of Pfister - as a clear signal both internally and externally. As of February 1, all 20 Pfister branches in Switzerland will be given a new look. This means the replacement of 75 illuminated building signs, the rebranding of 200 trucks and vehicles, 1100 new overalls for staff and, of course, new printed materials. The brand identity was renewed by Külling Identity AG in Zurich, while the implementation was carried out by specialized companies. In an intensive two-day exercise, everything was to be newly glued, assembled and in place as planned. Everything went well, says Fankhauser, but there is still a problem with the illuminated lettering: although planning permission was applied for in September, approval for Basel has still not been granted.