"We are currently seeing a recovery in the advertising market".

Screen-up: Corona kept the organizers of the annual Swiss TV Day, where the broadcasters present their new programs with screenings, on their toes. Actually, a Covid 19-compatible Special Edition had been planned for September 17 as an alternative to the normal, big event. When the situation worsened again in August, this was cancelled. So that the stations can still present their new products, the screenings will be moved to the Internet. From October 1, these will be shown on the platform Screen-up.ch and will be available by the end of the year. However, the organizers have decided against streaming the event alone, as they believe that four hours would be too long a duration for such a solution.

Werbewoche.ch spoke with Roger Elsener, head of Switzerland's largest private broadcasting group, about the shift to the Internet, the importance of daytime and the impact of Corona on CH media TV stations.

Werbewoche.ch: Roger Elsener, after the cancellation of the Screen-up Special Edition 2020 in September due to Corona, the event will now take place virtually at the beginning of October. Are you relieved or are you mourning the "real" event?

Roger Elsener: Considering the large number of guests, I can understand the decision of the Screen-up OC. We have decided to hold our own screening event on the evening of October 1. The circle of guests is small, very exclusive and we have of course drawn up a corona protection concept for the event and are complying with all the recommendations and specifications of the FOPH.

What significance does Swiss TV Day have for CH Media's stations in general?

A very high one. For us as the largest private Swiss station group, it's the most important day of the year for presenting the highlights of the upcoming TV season to our direct and agency clients.

The last few months have been dominated by the pandemic. What impact has Covid-19 had on your TV stations so far?

We, like all other media, were hit hard. The advertising market saw a rapid and massive decline. At the same time, TV usage of our TV stations skyrocketed to unprecedented heights. The need for up-to-date information in our news programs on regional TV stations was enormous. Our entertainment formats such as "The Voice of Switzerland" on 3+ or "Sing meinen Song - das Schweizer Tauschkonzert" on TV24 also enjoyed enormous popularity. Our viewers probably also wanted to distract themselves for once from all the negativity in our world.

Has the crisis kept you from launching new formats or continuing tried-and-tested ones?

In part, yes. The final of "The Voice of Switzerland" could not take place in the studio with an audience. Since the restaurants were closed, we also had to suspend the production "Bumann - Der Restauranttester" in the meantime. We were able to realize all other productions; albeit under changed conditions. For "Bauer, ledig, sucht..." in Switzerland, for "Der Bachelor" in Portugal and "Sing meinen Song - das Schweizer Tauschkonzert" on Gran Canaria, we developed extensive protection concepts, carried out regular corona tests and scheduled quarantines lasting several days.

In the first few months of Corona, TV stations posted record ratings due to an increased need for information. Is there still any sign of this?

In the meantime, viewer behavior in the TV market has returned to the same level as before the lockdown. Our stations gained market share during the lockdown and were fortunately able to maintain it.

Can you say something about the consumption behavior of your viewers over the last few months? Has it changed within the Corona months?

TV usage increased sharply during the lockdown. Demand for news in particular was extreme. Our regional TV stations were able to benefit massively from this, gaining new viewers in particular.

The media have repeatedly complained about the dilemma that they are in greater demand than ever on the user side, but that the large, new reaches cannot be monetized in the advertising market. What does the booking behavior of advertising customers on CH media stations currently look like?

We are currently seeing a recovery and are fortunately above the previous year's level in September and October. However, we will not be able to make up the shortfall from the lockdown months this year.

The information-focused local stations like TeleZüri and Tele M1 have attracted a lot of interest in recent months. But how has the crisis affected the ratings of national channels 3+, 4+, 5+, 6+, TV24, TV25 and S1?

The regional TV stations have indeed and fortunately grown massively. But the performance of our national TV stations is also very positive. Our national station group is the only one of the major station groups to report year-on-year growth in live and overnight market share in the target group relevant to advertising

In hindsight, one is always smarter: Was the multi-million dollar purchase of the 3 Plus Group a mistake a few months before the outbreak of a global pandemic?

No, of course not. Corona does not change our strategy of further expanding the entertainment sector at CH Media. The acquisition of the 3 Plus Group has made us the clear No. 1 in Swiss private TV. We're also continuing to invest in this area, as was seen most recently with the acquisition of the UEFA Champions League rights. Nota bene in the middle of the Covid 19 crisis.

In general: How satisfied are you with the development of the 3 Plus Group stations so far since the takeover by CH Media?

Very: Since the takeover, we've seen a considerable increase in market share on all our own productions compared to previous seasons. That's very pleasing. We were also able to significantly strengthen the team with the additions of Miriam Martino from Endemol and Nik Hartmann from SRF.

The latest IGEM Digimonitor figures show once again that Netflix is on the rise in Switzerland and is particularly popular among young people. As a provider of classic TV channels, what do you have to counter this development?

However, the IGEM Digimonitor also shows that TV remains the clear number one. Nevertheless, we will really step on the gas with the digitization of our offerings. Demand in this area is huge and our viewers want to consume our content at any time and any place. That's why we're planning our own streaming platform in 2021. We will also produce our own "originals" for it.