Michael Ringier does not want to sell to Springer

 For publisher Michael Ringier, a takeover of his publishing house by the German publishing giant Axel Springer is out of the question. As long as independence is an advantage, he wants to keep it, Ringier said in an interview with the German news magazine Spiegel. Although Springer has been a "friendly house" for years, the German publisher is far too big for a partnership with Ringier. "I understand that they would like to take us over," Ringier said about Springer. However, this is not an option for his publishing house. The discontinuation of the business newspaper Cash and the sale of the Swiss Ringier TV magazines to Springer are of no significance in this respect.
Talks about a merger between Ringier and Axel Springer were held as early as 2002, but were broken off by Michael Ringier without result. The decisive factor was his wish to remain independent.
Publisher Association President Hanspeter Lebrument wonders, however, whether these talks will be repeated. Ringier must settle the future of its publishing house, he said in an interview with Migros Magazin published on Monday.