BaZ Holding around Christoph Blocher takes over Zehnder Publishing House

BaZ Holding is acquiring Zehnder Regiomedia from Andreas and Jacqueline Zehnder and Zuger Woche from Rolf Peter and Trudy Zehnder, effective retroactively as of January 1, 2017. Rolf Bollmann is the new CEO.

zehnder-t

Zehnder Verlag is now active in the free weekly newspaper business, with 11 offices in 16 areas of eastern and central Switzerland and in the cantons of Aargau, Bern, Solothurn and Zurich. It serves around 800,000 readers a week with 25 titles and a total of 29 split editions.

The takeover of the two companies will be 100 percent. This transfer will enable the Zehnder family to arrange a succession with a partner experienced in the regional newspaper sector, according to a statement.

BaZ Holding will now publish the total of 25 Zehnder weekly titles in addition to the Basler Zeitung and is focusing on continuity. "It is convinced that in a time of rapid media change, newspapers that are well made, with a focus on local events and creativity will continue to meet a need in the future," the statement continued.

The overview below provides information on the individual weekly newspapers. Around 190 employees ensure this performance and have achieved stable sales development in recent years despite a sharply declining market, BaZ-Holding wrote on Wednesday.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The Zehnder family is leaving the weekly newspaper publishing house.

Overview Weekly Newspapers:

Office Area Title / Marks Number of splits Circulation WEMF Reader 2017-1 Seller
Aarau Aargau Aarau News 3 50’596 73’000 Andreas and Jacqueline Zehnder
Lenzburg News
Zofingen News
Kreuzlingen Kreuzlingen Kreuzlingen News 2 36’151 47’000
Weinfeld News
Lucerne Lucerne Lucerne Review 1 63’280 52’000
Olten Upper Aargau New Oberaargauer Newspaper 1 31’665 41’000
Olten New Olten Newspaper
(Gäu & Olten/Niederamt)
2 33’969 41’000
Rorschach Lake Constance Lake Constance News 1 25’049 32’000
Oberland Oberland News 1 28’013 16’000
Upper Thurgau Oberthurgau News 1 37’491 39’000
Rhine Valley Rheintaler Bote 1 36’892 33’000
St. Gallen St. Gallen St. Gallen News 3 68’097 73’000
Gossau news
Herisau News
Wattwil Ricken Toggenburg Newspaper 2 33’957 47’000
Lake and Gaster Newspaper
Wil Wil Wiler News
(Wil, Hinterthurgau and Uzwil/Flawil)
3 65’104 86’000
Winterthur Thurgau Thurgau News 2 31’179 28’000
Untersee News
Winterthur Winterthur Newspaper 3 88’048 73’000
Wyland Newspaper
ilef newspaper (Illnau/Effretikon)
Baar Train Zug week 1 49’118 45’000 Rolf Peter and Trudy Zehnder
10 offices 15 areas 24 title 27 splits 678’609 726’000
Bülach Unterland Unterland Zeitung (Bülach and Dielsdorf) 2 42’147 Start 1.1.2017, therefore not yet WEMF certified Andreas and Jacqueline Zehnder
11 offices 16 areas 25 title 29 Spilts 720’756

More articles on the topic