Not quite ripe yet
René Worni about the remaining publisher Jean Frey
René Worni on the remaining publisher Jean FreyThe taz recently reported from a deceptive Berlin distance (title: "With Roger to the right") that with the purchase of 60 percent of Weltwoche by Köppel, who is still editor-in-chief of Welt, Jean Frey Verlag is up for grabs - robbed of its flagship. A classic takeover candidate. Ringier, Tamedia and Axel Springer Verlag (of which Roger Köppel is currently still a salaried employee) would be possible interested parties in this entity, which still consists of Beobachter, Bilanz and TVStar. All variants are conceivable, but is there a plausible one? Springer in particular is considered a likely buyer for taz, as it already has a foothold in the country with the HandelsZeitungs Group and the launch of a new newspaper for digital television. But what should Springer do with the balance sheet? Ringier has already been disappointed once, when BaZ publisher Hagemann sold the publishing house to an initially unknown group of investors. At most, the Beobachter would be considered reasonably prestigious on Dufourstrasse. The balance sheet would create competition for its own cash project and TVStar would probably disappear, as Ringier is already well endowed with TV guides. What's more, with 40 percent of the prestigious Weltwoche title (a pity, Mr. Meyer), it would no longer be possible to make any money.
That leaves Tamedia. The regionalization project of the Tages-Anzeiger may be costly, but the second track - expansion through acquisitions - is just as repeatedly the declared goal of the strategists at Werdstrasse. After all, both the Beobachter and the Bilanz would not look bad on the well-positioned publisher. The TVtäglich program supplement would hardly face any competition from TVStar. 40 percent of Weltwoche as a strategic pledge - you never know.
Jean Frey denies that the sale and takeover scenarios are a mere invention. But what would the publishing house do without Weltwoche? It is not yet clear how much the young publisher Köppel wants and needs to use the publisher's services. Initially, he wants to physically relocate the title to other premises. An indication that Jean Frey will remain with the company for the foreseeable future? Without the prestige object Weltwoche, a sale at least seems plausible.
> René Worni, Editor
That leaves Tamedia. The regionalization project of the Tages-Anzeiger may be costly, but the second track - expansion through acquisitions - is just as repeatedly the declared goal of the strategists at Werdstrasse. After all, both the Beobachter and the Bilanz would not look bad on the well-positioned publisher. The TVtäglich program supplement would hardly face any competition from TVStar. 40 percent of Weltwoche as a strategic pledge - you never know.
Jean Frey denies that the sale and takeover scenarios are a mere invention. But what would the publishing house do without Weltwoche? It is not yet clear how much the young publisher Köppel wants and needs to use the publisher's services. Initially, he wants to physically relocate the title to other premises. An indication that Jean Frey will remain with the company for the foreseeable future? Without the prestige object Weltwoche, a sale at least seems plausible.
> René Worni, Editor
