Tamedia cleans up in Bern
At first glance, little seems to be changing in Bern’s media landscape. But it’s worth taking a closer look: Competition between the Berner Zeitung and the Bund is intensifying, the BZ is putting an end to its market-distorting marketing practices, and the Bund is regaining its own reach.
Because Tamedia is retaining the Bund as an independent title and is also continuing the Bern model with two journalistically different daily newspapers in one publishing house, little will change at first glance. It is true that there will be massive job cuts in Berne and Zurich. However, the new cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger ensures that the Confederation will continue to have high-quality content and positions. From the point of view of national advertising customers, nothing will change for the time being either: the previous compulsory advertising combination between the Bund and Berner Zeitung (BZ) will continue to exist, meaning that the Bund will remain part of the overall reach of the BZ, which currently has 415,000 readers and a reach of 60 percent in its home region. Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer describes this combination as "a prerequisite for the economic future of the Bund".
Readership figures for the Bund again from 2010
On closer inspection, however, some changes (and also improvements) can be expected for both readers and advertising customers. Thanks to the cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger, journalistic competition between the Bund and BZ will become tougher. The Bund will even receive the sports section, which it currently takes over from the BZ, from the Tagi in future - as will other national topics. What's more, the Bund will again be reporting its own readership figures from next year. Zimmer confirms: "In the interests of journalistic competition, we want to create transparency in this regard." The separate Bund reach has not been reported since 2005, i.e. since the start of the Bern model.
Another very important change: the Berner Zeitung is reducing its circulation. More precisely, it will gradually reduce the proportion of trial subscriptions and free circulation. These circulation sections, which generate hardly any income but have in some cases been extended for years, are particularly high at the BZ. In the city of Berne alone, it distributes around 18,000 copies almost free of charge, whereas the federal government does not even have 3,000 such subscriptions. So far, the BZ has blatantly distorted the market in the Berne area by artificially increasing its circulation. Tamedia is now putting an end to this (see interview), which at the same time gives the Bund new opportunities for growth. However, the Bund subscription will become more expensive, while the BZ subscription will not. Today, both cost CHF 355 per year. "We will raise the price of the Bund subscription, which is currently below the level of other regional newspapers such as Neue Luzerner Zeitung or Aargauer Zeitung," says Zimmer. For the Bund, the cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger could mean a significant expansion of editorial services. "This justifies the higher subscription price," says Zimmer. In addition, the survey conducted by the Committee to Save the Bund also shows that Bund readers are prepared to pay a slightly higher subscription fee.
"Merger with BZ would be more profitable"
From Tamedia's point of view, however, the continuation of the Bund is anything but a matter of course. The press release states that the continuation of the Bern newspaper model is a strategy "that will have to prove itself over the next few years". Christoph Zimmer adds: "We are convinced that we will be in the black with this model in the medium term, not in 2009 and probably not in 2010 either, depending on the advertising market, but later." The cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger is by no means the most profitable option. "From a purely economic point of view, the merger of Berner Zeitung and Bund would have been more profitable," he says. However, the aim is to put the Bund on its own feet.
Tamedia does not seem to be worried about the approximately 10,000 Tagi readers in Bern (WG 34). Even though the Bund and Tagi will be almost identical in the jacket section in future, the Tagi is not expected to suffer any losses. Because those who read the Tagi in Bern do so because they want to know what's going on in Zurich, says Zimmer. In addition: "60 percent of the Tagi will continue to be read exclusively in the Tagi."
Markus Knöpfli
The NZZ remains calm
What does the NZZ actually think about Tamedia's decision? When asked, CEO Albert P. Stäheli declined to comment. Just a few weeks ago, he had considered launching an NZZ split in Bern. Is the idea still on the table or has Tamedia now thrown a spanner in the works? Stäheli's answer is sibylline: "There are projects on the table, but the decisions on launches remain open," he writes. He is also convinced that "the already strong NZZ circulation in Bern will tend to benefit from the new situation." The NZZ currently has 21,000 readers in WG 34. (mk)
Readership figures for the Bund again from 2010
On closer inspection, however, some changes (and also improvements) can be expected for both readers and advertising customers. Thanks to the cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger, journalistic competition between the Bund and BZ will become tougher. The Bund will even receive the sports section, which it currently takes over from the BZ, from the Tagi in future - as will other national topics. What's more, the Bund will again be reporting its own readership figures from next year. Zimmer confirms: "In the interests of journalistic competition, we want to create transparency in this regard." The separate Bund reach has not been reported since 2005, i.e. since the start of the Bern model.
Another very important change: the Berner Zeitung is reducing its circulation. More precisely, it will gradually reduce the proportion of trial subscriptions and free circulation. These circulation sections, which generate hardly any income but have in some cases been extended for years, are particularly high at the BZ. In the city of Berne alone, it distributes around 18,000 copies almost free of charge, whereas the federal government does not even have 3,000 such subscriptions. So far, the BZ has blatantly distorted the market in the Berne area by artificially increasing its circulation. Tamedia is now putting an end to this (see interview), which at the same time gives the Bund new opportunities for growth. However, the Bund subscription will become more expensive, while the BZ subscription will not. Today, both cost CHF 355 per year. "We will raise the price of the Bund subscription, which is currently below the level of other regional newspapers such as Neue Luzerner Zeitung or Aargauer Zeitung," says Zimmer. For the Bund, the cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger could mean a significant expansion of editorial services. "This justifies the higher subscription price," says Zimmer. In addition, the survey conducted by the Committee to Save the Bund also shows that Bund readers are prepared to pay a slightly higher subscription fee.
"Merger with BZ would be more profitable"
From Tamedia's point of view, however, the continuation of the Bund is anything but a matter of course. The press release states that the continuation of the Bern newspaper model is a strategy "that will have to prove itself over the next few years". Christoph Zimmer adds: "We are convinced that we will be in the black with this model in the medium term, not in 2009 and probably not in 2010 either, depending on the advertising market, but later." The cooperation with the Tages-Anzeiger is by no means the most profitable option. "From a purely economic point of view, the merger of Berner Zeitung and Bund would have been more profitable," he says. However, the aim is to put the Bund on its own feet.
Tamedia does not seem to be worried about the approximately 10,000 Tagi readers in Bern (WG 34). Even though the Bund and Tagi will be almost identical in the jacket section in future, the Tagi is not expected to suffer any losses. Because those who read the Tagi in Bern do so because they want to know what's going on in Zurich, says Zimmer. In addition: "60 percent of the Tagi will continue to be read exclusively in the Tagi."
Markus Knöpfli
The NZZ remains calm
What does the NZZ actually think about Tamedia's decision? When asked, CEO Albert P. Stäheli declined to comment. Just a few weeks ago, he had considered launching an NZZ split in Bern. Is the idea still on the table or has Tamedia now thrown a spanner in the works? Stäheli's answer is sibylline: "There are projects on the table, but the decisions on launches remain open," he writes. He is also convinced that "the already strong NZZ circulation in Bern will tend to benefit from the new situation." The NZZ currently has 21,000 readers in WG 34. (mk)
Tages-Anzeiger
- Reduction of 57 full-time positions (editorial + printing)
- New editorial team 177 full-time positions
- News, News-Netz and Tages-Anzeiger cooperate
(Total editorial office now 235 full-time positions)
- Relaunch in the fall
- new 4-Bund newspaper
- 5 regiosplits together in the 3rd bundle in future
- Reduction of 57 full-time positions (editorial + printing)
- New editorial team 177 full-time positions
- News, News-Netz and Tages-Anzeiger cooperate
(Total editorial office now 235 full-time positions)
- Relaunch in the fall
- new 4-Bund newspaper
- 5 regiosplits together in the 3rd bundle in future
Confederation
- Reduction of 22 full-time positions
- New editorial team 35 full-time positions
- Relaunch in the fall
- new 4-Bund newspaper
- Weekend supplement "Der kleine Bund" becomes the daily 4th Bund
- Obtains new jacket section from Tages-Anzeiger
- Leads the editorial office of the Federal Parliament (also for Tages-Anzeiger)
- delivers articles and special pages to Zurich
- Subscription fee to be increased
- Reduction of 22 full-time positions
- New editorial team 35 full-time positions
- Relaunch in the fall
- new 4-Bund newspaper
- Weekend supplement "Der kleine Bund" becomes the daily 4th Bund
- Obtains new jacket section from Tages-Anzeiger
- Leads the editorial office of the Federal Parliament (also for Tages-Anzeiger)
- delivers articles and special pages to Zurich
- Subscription fee to be increased
Bernese Newspaper
- Reduction of 3 full-time positions (editorial + publishing)
- Circulation is reduced (fewer trial and free subscriptions)
- Large circulation of Solothurner Tagblatt is stopped
- will bear costs for sports editorial office alone in future
- Greater regionalization of Bernerzeitung.ch
- Reduction of 3 full-time positions (editorial + publishing)
- Circulation is reduced (fewer trial and free subscriptions)
- Large circulation of Solothurner Tagblatt is stopped
- will bear costs for sports editorial office alone in future
- Greater regionalization of Bernerzeitung.ch
