Flop of the week: Is Tamedia canceling the sale of the local channels?
Ringier and the Escor Group definitely dropped out of the race for Tamedia's local channels last week. Tamedia has now admitted to the Sonntag newspaper for the first time that the stations could remain within the Group.
If the price is not right, there is no need to sell, says Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer. But he is still optimistic that a "positive solution" will be found. CEO Martin Kall is trying to drive up the prices, Sonntag continues. According to Sonntag, a takeover of the Tamedia channels would also be too expensive for the entrepreneurs Giorgio Behr and Peter Weigelt (Schweizer Sportfernsehen). Zimmer is unable to resolve the contradiction with the reasons given at the time for the intended sale of the "radio and television activities". Tamedia wanted to sell these "in view of unfavorable framework conditions and low synergy potential" as well as uncertain prospects with regard to the reallocation of the concessions. This will not change if the Zurich-based publisher keeps the stations. It would also have to build a new studio for Radio 24, which would cost around CHF 2 million.
