Walder: "Bleicher was not burnt out".
Ringier CEO Marc Walder speaks with the NZZ am Sonntag about the reasons for Andrea Bleicher's dismissal and about new sources of revenue for the media company.
According to Walder, Bleicher was not convincing in business and politics, as well as in social issues - in contrast to the remaining three relevant Blick subject areas (sports, news and entertainment). Bleicher had turned down "a very good offer." Lüchinger brings great experience in the previously neglected areas - as does his deputy Andreas Dietrich.
As for the role of Frank A. Meyer in connection with the removal of Bleicher, Walder leaves questions unanswered. Ringier has "precisely defined processes" for how decisions are made. He and Michael Ringier had ultimately decided in favor of Lüchinger - whom Meyer did not even know personally. Meyer was "not involved. Nevertheless, Walder admits that Meyer played a strong role in the background at Riniger. "The most important journalist who has ever worked in this company" often calls, criticizes, inspires and sometimes annoys - but decisions are made in the committees.
Walder comments on the statement that Lüchinger fits in with Ringier because they both mix journalism and commerce as a "clumsy insinuation. Lüchinger did not take up his post until 2014 because he still had mandates to finish at his company. Blick also makes a clear distinction and provides independent journalism: it recently angered Ringier advisor Hitzfeld with an article that was wrong in content. And it reported widely on the Robbie Williams concert, even though it had not been organized by Ringier subsidiary Good News.
Walder is satisfied with the profit margins of Ringier's entertainment division. Tickets would soon also be sold in Eastern Europe. The declining print advertising revenues would also be offset by the large investments in online classifieds portals such as Jobs.ch or the Scout24 Group. The Ringier CEO is interested in the TV market - especially 3 Plus: Dominik Kaiser must " think about what it will take to make the next big step with his channel." (hae/NZZaS)
René Lüchinger becomes Editor-in-Chief of Blick
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