New LZ moves into pole position

Shareholdings LZ Medien expands co-determination rights LZ Medien is working on strategic advantages on two levels. Board delegate Erwin Bachmann is considering a 30 percent stake in Anzeiger Luzern AG for his Neue Luzerner Zeitung (Neue LZ), as he told Werbewoche. Anzeiger Luzern AG is also willing to talk, according to its director Peter Wüthrich. In October, Neue LZ had "provisionally" called off its long-planned participation, but it remains to be seen whether a cooperation would be approved by the Competition Commission. The Commission had started an investigation, but stopped it after Neue LZ withdrew. One reason for the possible alliance between the two Lucerne publishers is the commuter newspaper 20 Minuten's drive towards Lucerne and St. Gallen. The 20 Minuten Board of Directors has so far put such plans on ice. Now that the participation situation at the commuter paper has been clarified in terms of competition law, the expansion is expected in Lucerne.
At Radio Sunshine, however, for which majority shareholder Markus Ruoss is looking for a successor, Neue LZ already has an advantage. It owns 16 percent of the shares there and wants more. In addition, it has been on the Sunshine Board of Directors since the beginning of the year with Jürg Weber, publishing director of Neue LZ, as it was in 1999. At that time, however, Ruoss disputed Neue LZ's right to a Board of Directors. A legal dispute ensued, which has now ended with a settlement. This settlement grants Neue LZ a seat on the Board of Directors. According to Ruoss, however, this has nothing to do with the succession plan.
Markus Knöpfli