To the point: expensive free crutch
Following the discontinuation of the free newspaper .ch, it was expected from many quarters that the costly free newspaper project would be discontinued sooner or later. The rumors got a further boost when Matthias Hageman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM), made the following statement in an interview with Werbewoche at the beginning of July this year:
Following the discontinuation of the free newspaper .ch, it was expected from many quarters that the costly free newspaper project would be discontinued sooner or later. The rumors got a further boost when Matthias Hageman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM), made the following statement in an interview with Werbewoche at the beginning of July this year: "News had several goals. On the one hand, it was supposed to help BaZ in the advertising market. This commercial goal has not yet been achieved, which was hardly conceivable in the current environment. That's why News - like all loss-making activities - is on our watch list. But a very important goal was also to get .ch out of the market. Sascha Wigdorovits initially wanted to bring a high-quality free newspaper into every home, which posed a threat to all subscription newspapers. Today, I am glad that .ch has disappeared and that there has been a considerable bloodbath among investors. That should deter copycats. This result already justifies being involved with News."
No one said it so clearly before: The enemy has been defeated and the raison d'être for another free newspaper is thus no longer given.
Now, just under two months later, the News Basler Zeitung and News Berner Zeitung editions will be discontinued and will appear for the last time on Friday, August 28, 2009. Basler Zeitung Medien reassessed its stake in NP News Print AG as part of the cost reviews and decided to transfer its shares to Tamedia. Espace Media is also transferring its stake in NP News Print AG to Tamedia.
So far, so good, but what happens in Zurich? Nothing at all. The News Tages-Anzeiger edition remains. Original quote from Tamedia: "This will integrate News even more strongly into the Tages-Anzeiger media network (...). With its compact news offering and its focus on a young and urban readership, the commuter newspaper should attract additional readers to the media group and increase its reach in the greater Zurich area."
In September, the Tages-Anzeiger is planning a comprehensive relaunch. Expectations are high, as the new concept is supposed to put the Tages-Anzeiger back on the road to success. This requires heart and soul, but apparently no one at Werdstrasse really believes in success. After all, a successfully renovated Tages-Anzeiger would not need an (expensive) free newspaper crutch to survive in the market and attract new readers.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
No one said it so clearly before: The enemy has been defeated and the raison d'être for another free newspaper is thus no longer given.
Now, just under two months later, the News Basler Zeitung and News Berner Zeitung editions will be discontinued and will appear for the last time on Friday, August 28, 2009. Basler Zeitung Medien reassessed its stake in NP News Print AG as part of the cost reviews and decided to transfer its shares to Tamedia. Espace Media is also transferring its stake in NP News Print AG to Tamedia.
So far, so good, but what happens in Zurich? Nothing at all. The News Tages-Anzeiger edition remains. Original quote from Tamedia: "This will integrate News even more strongly into the Tages-Anzeiger media network (...). With its compact news offering and its focus on a young and urban readership, the commuter newspaper should attract additional readers to the media group and increase its reach in the greater Zurich area."
In September, the Tages-Anzeiger is planning a comprehensive relaunch. Expectations are high, as the new concept is supposed to put the Tages-Anzeiger back on the road to success. This requires heart and soul, but apparently no one at Werdstrasse really believes in success. After all, a successfully renovated Tages-Anzeiger would not need an (expensive) free newspaper crutch to survive in the market and attract new readers.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
