Ringier launches "heute", a free newspaper for the evening

Ringier AG will launch a free newspaper called "heute" before the summer. The new newspaper will be distributed in the afternoons in the Swiss metropolitan areas of Zurich, Basel and Berne with a circulation of 200,000 copies. On 32 pages in tabloid format, "heute" offers daily news and reports on entertainment, people and lifestyle - attractively illustrated, of course. There are also leisure tips, tips on events, a guide to going out and the TV program to appeal to the young and urban target audience in the after-work mood. The free newspaper is distributed in boxes in Basel, Berne and Zurich on weekdays from 4 pm. Colporteurs are also used. The main distribution points are SBB railroad stations and public transport stops. Today" is printed at various locations. In organizational terms, "heute" is assigned to Blick Verlag. This creates an advertising combination that offers a comprehensive advertising platform for German-speaking Switzerland. 15 members of the editorial team produce "heute", with Bernhard Weissberg as editor-in-chief. Weissberg has held various positions at Ringier since 1990 and was editor-in-chief of Sonntagsblick from 1997 to 2002. Ringier CEO Martin Werfeli will take over the management of the Newspapers division from Weissberg. As Ringier announced on Tuesday, Bernhard Weissberg will retain the journalistic management of the newspaper division and will lead the editors-in-chief of the Blick Group.
Ringier spokesman Marco Castellaneta told SDA that despite the failure of many previous evening newspaper projects in the Swiss market, Ringier is nevertheless backing an evening newspaper, citing "a change in reading behavior as a result of free newspapers". Market research has shown that there is now a need for evening newspapers.