"Interest in the messenger of primeval Switzerland is obvious"
Erwin Bachmann, Delegate of the Board of Directors of LZ Medien, on strategies with free newspapers and cooperation plans.
Erwin Bachmann, Delegate of the Board of Directors of LZ Medien, on strategies with free newspapers and cooperation plans.WW Your last year's figures give the impression that LZ Medien is facing a bright future.Erwin Bachmann We are in a good present and are doing everything we can for a bright future. However, this is not spread out before us like a red carpet, but we must do everything we can to maintain the high level. Competition and the economic situation have not become any easier - we have to get through this too.
Yes, you missed the budget by five percent, your market is limited and you were only able to grow in the printing sector through acquisitions. Are dark clouds gathering?
I am not pessimistic. We have a powerful organization that works efficiently. However, we do not owe the growth in commercial printing solely to acquisitions. The fact that Multicolor Print increased sales by CHF 3.6 million and generated a double-digit cash flow rate is exceptional in this difficult market.
Your Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hans Kaufmann, wants to develop an "effective strategy" this year. Where are you heading?
I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I don't think we will deviate significantly from the previous principle of "from and for the region". What is certain, however, is that the space for our industry has generally become larger and that our position also allows us to consider other scales.
Will LZ Medien be more aggressive in the future?
Our approach may not be as publicized, but we are already taking a targeted approach, building for the medium and long term and implementing consistently. That won't change. I don't believe that aggressiveness will achieve anything. Collaborations are only successful when two people are in the same boat, striving for the same goal as partners and understand each other.
NZZ now holds a 45 percent stake in LZ Medien. How was the collaboration last year?
The NZZ is of the opinion that a media company with a regional impact also needs independence. We are happy to have such a partner on board.
The magazine Bilanz has named NZZ boss Hugo Bütler the most influential Swiss media man. He sits on the board of LZ Medien. Does he have much influence?
Influence is difficult to measure, but Mr. Bütler has certainly been rightly honored. He is one of twelve members of the Board of Directors of LZ Medien. He has one vote for voting and one vote for speaking. The latter undoubtedly carries more weight with Mr. Bütler. He is experienced and his word is heard. We are grateful that he contributes in this way.
Because SBB won't grant your commuter newspaper project exclusive boxes, you are thinking about an alternative. Now you are participating in Anzeiger Luzern (see front). Should the alternative project emerge from this connection?
An investment naturally opens up such options. We will certainly discuss these. However, the investment has not yet been implemented.
Is the alternative to Baslerstab or Berner Bär: expanded editorial staff and daily publication? Both papers are doing well despite 20 Minuten.
Such considerations must undoubtedly be made. But this should be done amicably and in partnership - I don't want to be speculative here.
In hindsight, was it a mistake to suspend your involvement in the Anzeiger last year?
No, because it wasn't an urgent business. In our industry, it's easy to get the feeling that you can only be successful with quick fixes. We prefer to take a well-considered approach.
Neue LZ is in a saturated and limited market. There might be potential for expansion in Schwyz with the Boten der Urschweiz.
The Bote der Urschweiz is part of the Südostschweiz association and this contract runs until the end of 2006.
However, it will be renegotiated this year. Have there already been any rapprochements between Neuer LZ and the Bote?
There were never any distances. And we never made a secret of the fact that Schwyz is part of Central Switzerland, so a collaboration with the messenger of original Switzerland would be obvious. We would also offer our support. But ultimately it will be publisher Hugo Triner who decides.
What does your cooperation offer look like? Neue LZ is not an association like Südostschweiz.
It would indeed be a slightly different situation and the legal independence of Triner AG would certainly have to be guaranteed. However, there are several possible models for this.
You are Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Radio Pilatus. It has left the Association of Swiss Private Radio Stations (VSP). Why?
This was a purely operational decision in which the BoD was not involved.
This is surprising. The reason given was that the VSP did not sufficiently represent the interests of publishers in the RTVG discussion (see WW 16/03). One would therefore expect the BoD to have demanded the VSP's withdrawal.
It is true that the VSP does not represent our interests, but we have not influenced Pilatus in any way. The decision to leave was made at the operational level. But Pilatus is part of the City Pool, which also includes Tamedia radios. It is possible that there were joint considerations there. In any case, the decision is not wrong for the moment.
The LZ concept in commercial printingMedium and small print shops are under pressure: either they buy more powerful machines and produce faster, cheaper and better - or their customers will drop out. This is where LZ Medien comes in: They take a stake in print shop X, which remains in existence, looks after its customers and also does the prepress on site. Printing and finishing are outsourced to LZ-Druckerei Multicolor Print, which delivers the printed material. The advantage: Print shop X does not have to purchase expensive machines, but can offer the full range of products. It only pays Multicolor when production takes place there and does not have to worry about machine utilization. Print shop X can offer its customers short deadlines, good quality and competitive prices. (mk)
"From and for the region" remains Erwin Bachmann's LZ position.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
Yes, you missed the budget by five percent, your market is limited and you were only able to grow in the printing sector through acquisitions. Are dark clouds gathering?
I am not pessimistic. We have a powerful organization that works efficiently. However, we do not owe the growth in commercial printing solely to acquisitions. The fact that Multicolor Print increased sales by CHF 3.6 million and generated a double-digit cash flow rate is exceptional in this difficult market.
Your Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hans Kaufmann, wants to develop an "effective strategy" this year. Where are you heading?
I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I don't think we will deviate significantly from the previous principle of "from and for the region". What is certain, however, is that the space for our industry has generally become larger and that our position also allows us to consider other scales.
Will LZ Medien be more aggressive in the future?
Our approach may not be as publicized, but we are already taking a targeted approach, building for the medium and long term and implementing consistently. That won't change. I don't believe that aggressiveness will achieve anything. Collaborations are only successful when two people are in the same boat, striving for the same goal as partners and understand each other.
NZZ now holds a 45 percent stake in LZ Medien. How was the collaboration last year?
The NZZ is of the opinion that a media company with a regional impact also needs independence. We are happy to have such a partner on board.
The magazine Bilanz has named NZZ boss Hugo Bütler the most influential Swiss media man. He sits on the board of LZ Medien. Does he have much influence?
Influence is difficult to measure, but Mr. Bütler has certainly been rightly honored. He is one of twelve members of the Board of Directors of LZ Medien. He has one vote for voting and one vote for speaking. The latter undoubtedly carries more weight with Mr. Bütler. He is experienced and his word is heard. We are grateful that he contributes in this way.
Because SBB won't grant your commuter newspaper project exclusive boxes, you are thinking about an alternative. Now you are participating in Anzeiger Luzern (see front). Should the alternative project emerge from this connection?
An investment naturally opens up such options. We will certainly discuss these. However, the investment has not yet been implemented.
Is the alternative to Baslerstab or Berner Bär: expanded editorial staff and daily publication? Both papers are doing well despite 20 Minuten.
Such considerations must undoubtedly be made. But this should be done amicably and in partnership - I don't want to be speculative here.
In hindsight, was it a mistake to suspend your involvement in the Anzeiger last year?
No, because it wasn't an urgent business. In our industry, it's easy to get the feeling that you can only be successful with quick fixes. We prefer to take a well-considered approach.
Neue LZ is in a saturated and limited market. There might be potential for expansion in Schwyz with the Boten der Urschweiz.
The Bote der Urschweiz is part of the Südostschweiz association and this contract runs until the end of 2006.
However, it will be renegotiated this year. Have there already been any rapprochements between Neuer LZ and the Bote?
There were never any distances. And we never made a secret of the fact that Schwyz is part of Central Switzerland, so a collaboration with the messenger of original Switzerland would be obvious. We would also offer our support. But ultimately it will be publisher Hugo Triner who decides.
What does your cooperation offer look like? Neue LZ is not an association like Südostschweiz.
It would indeed be a slightly different situation and the legal independence of Triner AG would certainly have to be guaranteed. However, there are several possible models for this.
You are Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Radio Pilatus. It has left the Association of Swiss Private Radio Stations (VSP). Why?
This was a purely operational decision in which the BoD was not involved.
This is surprising. The reason given was that the VSP did not sufficiently represent the interests of publishers in the RTVG discussion (see WW 16/03). One would therefore expect the BoD to have demanded the VSP's withdrawal.
It is true that the VSP does not represent our interests, but we have not influenced Pilatus in any way. The decision to leave was made at the operational level. But Pilatus is part of the City Pool, which also includes Tamedia radios. It is possible that there were joint considerations there. In any case, the decision is not wrong for the moment.
The LZ concept in commercial printingMedium and small print shops are under pressure: either they buy more powerful machines and produce faster, cheaper and better - or their customers will drop out. This is where LZ Medien comes in: They take a stake in print shop X, which remains in existence, looks after its customers and also does the prepress on site. Printing and finishing are outsourced to LZ-Druckerei Multicolor Print, which delivers the printed material. The advantage: Print shop X does not have to purchase expensive machines, but can offer the full range of products. It only pays Multicolor when production takes place there and does not have to worry about machine utilization. Print shop X can offer its customers short deadlines, good quality and competitive prices. (mk)
"From and for the region" remains Erwin Bachmann's LZ position.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
