The Bebbi is back
Free Newspapers: A weekly city newspaper aims to compete with *20 Minuten*, *Baslerstab*, and *BaZ*.
Free newspapers A weekly Stadt-Zytig wants to take on 20 Minuten, Baslerstab and BaZ Beat Alder, the head of Basel's second television station Nordwest 5 (now NW1), who was dismissed in the fall of 2004, is launching the free weekly Stadt-Zytig in Basel on March 17. It is Alder's second newspaper experiment in Basel; 16 years ago, he launched the Basler Bebbi (blessed), but unlike that free paper, which was put in every letterbox, the Stadt-Zytig will initially only be published with a circulation of 28,350 copies, which will be sent to "hundreds of restaurants" for distribution.
The 32-page tabloid will also be distributed on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings in the city center of Grossbasel and Kleinbasel. Newspaper boxes are also planned, but approval is still pending. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the paper will pay CHF 100 per year.
In terms of content, the newspaper will be a tabloid - "but with longer texts than 20 minutes and, above all, with its own primeurs", emphasizes Alder. As in Bebbi's day, he wants to get involved in local political events. Primarily, however, he wants to make a newspaper for young people and focus strongly on the weekend. Accordingly, there will be previews of parties, events and happenings.
Does Alder see his chance in the protest by cultural workers against the paid event listings in the Basler Zeitung? "That wasn't the motivation, but of course it suits us," says Alder. In any case, the Stadt-Zytig was well received.
In the team of seven, Alder sees himself as "advertising salesman, editor-in-chief and go-to guy for everything". A four-color full-page ad costs 3,000 francs gross.
Stadt-Zytig is published by Alder + Zehnder GmbH. Zehnder stands for the publisher Rolf-Peter Zehnder, head of the Zehnder publishing house in Will SG and owner of 22 free newspapers with a focus on Eastern and Central Switzerland. Alder founded the two NOZ (Neue Oltner Zeitung and Neue Oberaargauer Zeitung) ten years ago and left them to him. He has now approached Zehnder with the new project, who will also be responsible for the printing. Alder has only taken a 2.5 percent stake in the young publishing house, with Zehnder holding the rest. However, the contract stipulates that Alder can take over up to 50 percent, they both say.
New bridgehead: publisher Rolf-Peter Zehnder enters the Basel market.
The 32-page tabloid will also be distributed on Thursday evenings and Friday mornings in the city center of Grossbasel and Kleinbasel. Newspaper boxes are also planned, but approval is still pending. Anyone wishing to subscribe to the paper will pay CHF 100 per year.
In terms of content, the newspaper will be a tabloid - "but with longer texts than 20 minutes and, above all, with its own primeurs", emphasizes Alder. As in Bebbi's day, he wants to get involved in local political events. Primarily, however, he wants to make a newspaper for young people and focus strongly on the weekend. Accordingly, there will be previews of parties, events and happenings.
Does Alder see his chance in the protest by cultural workers against the paid event listings in the Basler Zeitung? "That wasn't the motivation, but of course it suits us," says Alder. In any case, the Stadt-Zytig was well received.
In the team of seven, Alder sees himself as "advertising salesman, editor-in-chief and go-to guy for everything". A four-color full-page ad costs 3,000 francs gross.
Stadt-Zytig is published by Alder + Zehnder GmbH. Zehnder stands for the publisher Rolf-Peter Zehnder, head of the Zehnder publishing house in Will SG and owner of 22 free newspapers with a focus on Eastern and Central Switzerland. Alder founded the two NOZ (Neue Oltner Zeitung and Neue Oberaargauer Zeitung) ten years ago and left them to him. He has now approached Zehnder with the new project, who will also be responsible for the printing. Alder has only taken a 2.5 percent stake in the young publishing house, with Zehnder holding the rest. However, the contract stipulates that Alder can take over up to 50 percent, they both say.
New bridgehead: publisher Rolf-Peter Zehnder enters the Basel market.
Markus Knöpfli
