U1 talks to 20 minutes

Thomas Sadecky, Managing Director of the Swiss branch of the Austrian three-country TV project Kanal 1, wants to launch the daily free program guide U1 from spring 2003. Originally, he wanted to publish the 16-page magazine, which was of course primarily intended to promote his own Kanal 1, five times a week in the afternoons in former Metropol boxes. But that could now change. Sadecky and Rolf Bollmann, publishing director of 20 Minuten, are negotiating a cooperation, as both confirm. Two talks have already been held and a third is scheduled. The idea is for U1 to be inserted as a daily supplement to 20 Minuten, but Bollmann is less than euphoric: he would welcome a partnership, but the magazine would have to list all the channels and fit in with 20 Minuten, he says when asked. The main problem: As long as Kanal 1 is not launched in Switzerland, U1 will hardly appear. You can read about the current status of Kanal 1 and the unanswered questions about the project on page 15 (mk).