Two new newspapers in Mostindia
In Thurgau, a local publisher and one from St. Gallen are competing for readers and subscribers
In Thurgau, a local and a St. Gallen publisher fight for readers and subscribersBy Markus KnöpfliOn January 3, the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung appeared for the first time, replacing six previous Thurgau titles. On the same day, the St. Galler Tagblatt responded, as announced, by launching its second Thurgau split - the Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt.
The Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt (MTT) should actually have been called Neues Thurgauer Tagblatt. This name was also on the documents Publicitas St. Gallen sent to potential customers. However, due to a super provisional injunction issued by the Commercial Court of St. Gallen before Christmas, the St. Galler Tagblatt (SGT) had to reschedule and rename its new split edition.
The ban had been brought by Thurgauer Medien AG, publisher of the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung (NTZ). It had found the originally intended name to be an unfriendly act from St. Gallen and "clearly misleading" because one of the six titles replaced by NTZ had been called Thurgauer Tagblatt.
Prelude to a
Cut-throat competition
The accusation of misleading is rejected in St. Gallen. "We were far from wanting to confuse anyone," explains SGT publishing and marketing manager Daniel Ehrat. However, he makes it clear that the SGT is not interested in the
Ruckstuhl titles Thurgauer Tagblatt, Thurgauer Volkszeitung, Thurgauer Volksfreund and Bischofszeller Nachrichten, which have now been merged into NTZ. "But we were also in contact with Urs Lüdi of Huber & Co. in Frauenfeld with a view to possible cooperation in these areas," Ehrat says. When the merger took place "unilaterally and without consultation," they were surprised. However, the MTT was not launched out of anger, but to realize "obvious growth targets" in districts bordering the circulation area of the Bodensee Tagblatt (BT). The BT is the already existing SCT split in Upper Thurgau (14000 copies).
So now both newspapers were published on January 3, the NTZ with 42000 copies and the MTT in the Weinfelden and Kreuzlingen districts with a scattered circulation of 10000 copies.
Both sides are aware that this will lead to cut-throat competition. In a market where up to now 20,000 out of 25,000 households have subscribed to a newspaper, MTT wants to gain 6,000 to 8,000 subscribers in the next two years, and even 10,000 in four years.
Lüdi is confident: "The NZZ behind the SCT is a strong force, but we have a good starting position." For example, NTZ does not make an introductory offer to advertising customers and charges 1.31 francs per millimeter. By comparison, the Thurgauer Zeitung (32000 copies) cost 1.17 francs. In contrast, the MTT charges 0.76 francs per millimeter, combined with the Bodensee Tagblatt 1.16 francs. The 2 for 1 promotion is valid until March.
The publisher dispute in eastern Switzerland also leads to internal competition within Publicitas: NTZ handles the local and regional market itself, while P Winterthur is responsible for the national market (also for Kombi 1 and Nordostschweiz-Kombi). MTT sales, on the other hand, are handled by P St. Gallen,
which has opened branches in Kreuzlingen and Weinfelden. Ehrat sees their opening as a "certain signal from the P in favor of the SCT.
What consequences does the new competition in Thurgau have for the region's private TV projects? After all, Thurgauer Medien AG is allied with Günter Heuberger's Top Group in the radio sector, and at the same time SGT and NZZ tried last year to involve Lüdi in a joint Eastern Switzerland TV and portal project. "We haven't had any contact for some time," says Lüdi coolly. On the other hand, he says, "We're always talking to Tele Top.
The signal is clear. In
St. Gallen, on the other hand, still seems to be trying to limit the damage. Ehrat emphasizes that the projects in the portal or TV area could work despite new print competition. "We can continue to talk about this in a reasonable way."
The Mittelthurgauer Tagblatt (MTT) should actually have been called Neues Thurgauer Tagblatt. This name was also on the documents Publicitas St. Gallen sent to potential customers. However, due to a super provisional injunction issued by the Commercial Court of St. Gallen before Christmas, the St. Galler Tagblatt (SGT) had to reschedule and rename its new split edition.
The ban had been brought by Thurgauer Medien AG, publisher of the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung (NTZ). It had found the originally intended name to be an unfriendly act from St. Gallen and "clearly misleading" because one of the six titles replaced by NTZ had been called Thurgauer Tagblatt.
Prelude to a
Cut-throat competition
The accusation of misleading is rejected in St. Gallen. "We were far from wanting to confuse anyone," explains SGT publishing and marketing manager Daniel Ehrat. However, he makes it clear that the SGT is not interested in the
Ruckstuhl titles Thurgauer Tagblatt, Thurgauer Volkszeitung, Thurgauer Volksfreund and Bischofszeller Nachrichten, which have now been merged into NTZ. "But we were also in contact with Urs Lüdi of Huber & Co. in Frauenfeld with a view to possible cooperation in these areas," Ehrat says. When the merger took place "unilaterally and without consultation," they were surprised. However, the MTT was not launched out of anger, but to realize "obvious growth targets" in districts bordering the circulation area of the Bodensee Tagblatt (BT). The BT is the already existing SCT split in Upper Thurgau (14000 copies).
So now both newspapers were published on January 3, the NTZ with 42000 copies and the MTT in the Weinfelden and Kreuzlingen districts with a scattered circulation of 10000 copies.
Both sides are aware that this will lead to cut-throat competition. In a market where up to now 20,000 out of 25,000 households have subscribed to a newspaper, MTT wants to gain 6,000 to 8,000 subscribers in the next two years, and even 10,000 in four years.
Lüdi is confident: "The NZZ behind the SCT is a strong force, but we have a good starting position." For example, NTZ does not make an introductory offer to advertising customers and charges 1.31 francs per millimeter. By comparison, the Thurgauer Zeitung (32000 copies) cost 1.17 francs. In contrast, the MTT charges 0.76 francs per millimeter, combined with the Bodensee Tagblatt 1.16 francs. The 2 for 1 promotion is valid until March.
The publisher dispute in eastern Switzerland also leads to internal competition within Publicitas: NTZ handles the local and regional market itself, while P Winterthur is responsible for the national market (also for Kombi 1 and Nordostschweiz-Kombi). MTT sales, on the other hand, are handled by P St. Gallen,
which has opened branches in Kreuzlingen and Weinfelden. Ehrat sees their opening as a "certain signal from the P in favor of the SCT.
What consequences does the new competition in Thurgau have for the region's private TV projects? After all, Thurgauer Medien AG is allied with Günter Heuberger's Top Group in the radio sector, and at the same time SGT and NZZ tried last year to involve Lüdi in a joint Eastern Switzerland TV and portal project. "We haven't had any contact for some time," says Lüdi coolly. On the other hand, he says, "We're always talking to Tele Top.
The signal is clear. In
St. Gallen, on the other hand, still seems to be trying to limit the damage. Ehrat emphasizes that the projects in the portal or TV area could work despite new print competition. "We can continue to talk about this in a reasonable way."
