Self-help instead of federal funds

Distribution Whether publishers revive AZO depends on politics. Since the end of 2005, the project for an alternative daily delivery organization (AZO) has been sitting in the drawers of the major publishers. Perhaps not for much longer, because publishers of large-circulation magazines in particular are closely following the decision made by the Council of States on June 11 regarding press subsidies: it wants to continue to reduce newspaper delivery charges, but only up to a circulation of 40,000 copies. For member newspapers, the maximum number of copies is 300,000. This would mean that Ringier and Tamedia magazines in particular, as well as Coop, Migros and TCS titles, would be cut off from the subsidy drip. They could therefore bring out AZO. According to a feasibility study from 2005, AZO would be able to serve all German-speaking Swiss households twice a week - and at a price 10 percent lower than Swiss Post today. But we are not there yet. On June 12, the National Council upheld the press subsidy model. And this also supports large-circulation titles.