Tito Tettamanti establishes Medienvielfalt Holding

Medienvielfalt Holding aims to contribute to the preservation of an intelligent and diverse spectrum of media and opinion in Switzerland, according to a statement on Wednesday. However, it also wants to be an offer to media professionals to increasingly critically engage with current social currents as well as to journalistically deepen Switzerland's liberal, democratic and federalist tradition. The MVH wants to achieve this goal through the following measures:

1. participation in media and media companies
2. promotion of discourse critical of the media
3. participation in national and international journalistic institutions

Until a few years ago, the Swiss media landscape was in a stable journalistic and economic balance thanks to a large number of regional publishers and corresponding competition, the statement continues. Today, a few media groups dominate the national scene - primarily from the media capital of Zurich. The reasons for this development lie in the dwindling print market, a booming online market and in the severely restricted scope for development of private companies in the electronic media due to state regulation. The consequences of the steadily decreasing competition in the Swiss media market are limited diversity of opinion and less and less effort for critical research - especially in the daily press. Especially in the current difficult times, the open competition of ideas, the search for truth instead of the proclamation of preconceived opinions is of utmost importance. Tito Tettamanti, main shareholder of Medienvielfalt Holding, says: "The critical debate about a new model of society is the main concern of Medienvielfalt Holding. Lateral thinkers are in demand."

100 percent of Baz shares acquired

Medienvielfalt Holding's first entrepreneurial activities are a substantial stake in the multimedia platform Les Observateurs.ch, founded by Uli Windisch of Windisch Media Prod, and the Acquisition of 100 percent of the shares in Baz Holding.

Medienvielfalt Holding is a stock corporation under Swiss law with its registered office in Zug and a share capital of CHF 40 million, divided into 75,000 registered shares of CHF 100 each and 65,000 registered shares of CHF 500 each. The main shareholder of MVH is Tito Tettamanti, Lugano (Castagnola) with 53.6 percent of the voting rights and 18.8 percent of the capital. The second largest shareholder with 12.5 percent of the capital is Georges Bindschedler, Muri BE.

Shareholders with interests of between 5 and 10 percent in the capital are
- Andreas Eichenberger, Binningen
- Urs Gribi, Binningen
- Ralf Klingler, Flawil
- Adriana Ospel-Bodmer, Wollerau
- Daniel Riediker, Pfäffikon SZ
- Giangiorgio Spiess, Lugano

Shareholders with an equity interest of less than 5 percent are
- Stéphane Barbier-Mueller, Geneva
- Pierre Bottinelli, Crans Montana
- Markus Gröflin, Rünenberg
- Hans Rudolf Gysin, Pratteln
- Hans Kaufmann, Wettswil ZH
- Filippo Leutenegger, Zurich
- Marina Masoni, Lugano
- Daniel Model, Salenstein
- Robert Nef, St.Gallen
- Uli Windisch, F-Veigy-Foncenex
In addition, there are various small shareholders with a combined stake of around 10 percent.

The Board of Directors of Medienfvielfalt Holding is composed as follows:
- Marina Masoni, President of the Board of Directors
- Filippo Leutenegger, Delegate of the Board of Directors
- Georges Bindschedler
- Robert Nef
- Uli Windisch

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(Image: Keystone)