The strong increase in viewer numbers in the video segment and the demand from the advertising industry for moving images have prompted the Blick Group to launch its own digital channel, Ringier announced in Zurich on Wednesday. Among other things, the focus will be on national reporting and breaking news - previously the domain of SRF television.

 

Cooperation with CNN

In the international news business, Blick TV is teaming up with the globally active American news channel CNN. This collaboration gives Blick TV access to CNN content for the Swiss and Liechtenstein markets. It also gives the station access to CNN's global news network.

With Jonas Projer, who most recently served as head of the talk desk and host of Swiss TV's "Arena" program, Blick TV is getting a well-known draw. Projer will lead the Blick TV team as editor-in-chief. He will take up his post on May 1, 2019. Two TV studios will be directly integrated into the News Room at the Ringier Press House in Zurich. The News Room will be remodeled accordingly in the coming months.

 

Further increase in operating profit

The Ringier Group closed the 2018 financial year well in a difficult media environment. As in the industry as a whole, a strongly growing market for digital marketplaces was offset by significantly declining revenues in the traditional distribution, advertising and print businesses. Revenues at Group level stagnated at just over one billion Swiss francs.

Ringier improved its operating profit for the fourth time in a row. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) increased to 113.0 (previous year 110.6) million Swiss francs. This corresponds to a margin of 11.3 percent. The digital share of Ebitda increased by 5 percentage points to 71 percent - a top figure in the European media environment. (SDA)
 

The police of the metropolis of millions closed the street in front of the CNN building and called on the population to avoid the area. The Time Warner Center with CNN is located on Columbus Circle south of Central Park. According to CNN, several sirens sounded in the newsroom of the Time Warner Center in Manhattan on Thursday evening (local time). All employees then left the offices shortly after 10.30 p.m. (local time).

Presenter Don Lemon tweeted that his daily live show "CNN Tonight" had been interrupted in the middle of it. According to CNN, the bomb threat was received by telephone. Further details were initially unknown.

However, the police began an investigation into the incident. However, they found no explosive device. After around an hour and a half, the journalists were able to return to the newsroom, as the station later announced.

It was only in October that the CNN newsroom in New York was evacuated after an explosive device was found. At the time, mail containing explosive devices had been sent to a number of critics of US President Donald Trump, including former Democratic President Barack Obama and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. (SDA)

The TV station is designed to appeal to executives, business people and opinion leaders in Switzerland who are interested in the latest financial and business news. The channel's profile will be rounded out with content on lifestyle topics. CNN wrote this in a statement on Sunday. As part of their novel partnership, CNN and Media Go will jointly create the necessary infrastructure, develop the channel's programming and sharpen its brand identity. In addition, the production and editorial team will be built up and CNN's usual standards and practices will be established for CNN Money Switzerland.

30 permanently employed Swiss journalists

The English-language programming of this national channel will be produced at CNN Money Switzerland's studios in Zurich and Geneva. The editorial teams and newsrooms at both locations will cover business topics and news about Swiss companies. Topic-specific features (technology, weather, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, etc.) will complement the information program. Most of the 30 or so permanent journalists are Swiss and will be introduced to the specifics of the station by longtime CNN employees, according to the Sonntagszeitung. Also according to the newspaper: CNN Money broadcasts live around the clock, but initially only between 6 pm and 9 pm. The broadcast will begin shortly after the market closes and will be devoted to Swiss stock market and economic events - supplemented by live reports from London, Singapore and New York. The aim is to "squeeze as much news as possible out of Swiss companies," they say. In concrete terms, this means not being satisfied with quarterly and annual figures, but interviewing company bosses, politicians, presenting new products or researching strategic corporate decisions.

Wider audience than Bloomberg

With this program mix, CNN Money Switzerland also wants to clearly distinguish itself from its competitor Bloomberg TV. While the latter focuses on stock market and financial topics, CNN wants to appeal to a broader audience thanks to general business and lifestyle topics. The TV station is supplemented by a YouTube channel, its own website and various social media channels. The channel will be receivable in unencrypted form via Swiss cable and IPTV providers.

"CNN Money Switzerland fills the gap of a multimedia information platform for Swiss business and lifestyle topics of national and international importance," said Christophe Rasch, CEO of Media Go. "Executives of multinational companies, the world's 50 largest NGOs and sports organizations are looking for an English-language platform, which they will find in CNN Money Switzerland. The channel targets the four million Swiss - half of the country's total population - who speak English as a native language or as a second or third language," he adds.

"Influential brand and distinctive content."

"CNN Money Switzerland marks an important step in CNN's corporate strategy. We want to seize opportunities to add value to CNN and provide audiences with new touch points with the brand," said Rani Raad, President CNN International Commercial. "In this case, we are partnering with Media Go to create the first standalone CNN national money channel and strengthen our commitment to a relevant market for issues of international relevance. An influential brand and distinctive content stand out in the news landscape - that's exactly what we want to achieve with CNN Money Switzerland."

Lancement de la première chaîne TV nationale en anglais consacrée à l'information financière : CNNMoney Switzerland. https://t.co/AIzn4HY4Rd pic.twitter.com/p8MvQgopUX

- mediago (@mediagoconseil) January 22, 2017

CNN International Commercial team markets on site

For the marketing of advertising time, Media Go and CNN International Commercial will work together to reach audiences in the premium segment of CNN Money Switzerland. Supporting this, a CNN International Commercial team will interact on the ground in Switzerland to ensure advertisers can take advantage of the full range of advertising opportunities from digital platforms to broadcast programming, reaching both international and Swiss audiences.

Until now, CNN had no office in Switzerland and had to fly in special correspondents for the various important events. As Media Go CEO Christophe Rasch explained to the Sonntagszeitung, the new channel is about more than just reporting on individual events in Switzerland. Rather, the aim is to bring the international business world closer to the Swiss and, conversely, to make Switzerland known as an economic power with a density of CEOs, top researchers and bankers that is unique in the world.

Switzerland serves as a laboratory

As Greg Beitchman, the CNN International commercial manager for the Swiss channel, explains in an interview with the Sonntagszeitung, Switzerland will serve as a kind of laboratory to see how well the TV channel works. After all, "it's not impossible that there will be CNN Money channels in other countries as well." Switzerland was chosen as the test environment because the large corporations and luxury brands based in Switzerland are a major topic for CNN. Thanks to its own Swiss editorial team, it would be possible to expand coverage of them and thus also enable advertisers to target the Swiss audience.

CNN Money Switzerland is the latest addition to CNN. CNN Money already expanded internationally in 2016 with cross-platform programming, particularly through the CNN Moneystream app. In addition, CNN International Commercial has launched local CNN channels in India, Japan, Turkey, Chile, Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as a website in Greece. (hae/pd/SaS)

The TV station is designed to appeal to executives, business people and opinion leaders in Switzerland who are interested in the latest financial and business news. The channel's profile will be rounded out with content on lifestyle topics. CNN wrote this in a statement on Sunday. As part of their novel partnership, CNN and Media Go will jointly create the necessary infrastructure, develop the channel's programming and sharpen its brand identity. In addition, the production and editorial team will be built up and CNN's usual standards and practices will be established for CNN Money Switzerland.

 

30 permanently employed Swiss journalists

The English-language programming of this national channel will be produced at CNN Money Switzerland's studios in Zurich and Geneva. The editorial teams and newsrooms at both locations will cover business topics and news about Swiss companies. Topic-specific features (technology, weather, sports, entertainment, lifestyle, etc.) will complement the information program. Most of the 30 or so permanent journalists are Swiss and will be introduced to the specifics of the station by longtime CNN employees, according to the Sonntagszeitung. Also according to the newspaper: CNN Money broadcasts live around the clock, but initially only between 6 pm and 9 pm. The broadcast will begin shortly after the market closes and will be devoted to Swiss stock market and economic events - supplemented by live reports from London, Singapore and New York. The aim is to "squeeze as much news as possible out of Swiss companies," they say. In concrete terms, this means not being satisfied with quarterly and annual figures, but interviewing company bosses, politicians, presenting new products or researching strategic corporate decisions.

 

Wider audience than Bloomberg

With this program mix, CNN Money Switzerland also wants to clearly distinguish itself from its competitor Bloomberg TV. While the latter focuses on stock market and financial topics, CNN wants to appeal to a broader audience thanks to general business and lifestyle topics. The TV station is supplemented by a YouTube channel, its own website and various social media channels. The channel will be receivable in unencrypted form via Swiss cable and IPTV providers.

"CNN Money Switzerland fills the gap of a multimedia information platform for Swiss business and lifestyle topics of national and international importance," said Christophe Rasch, CEO of Media Go. "Executives of multinational companies, the world's 50 largest NGOs and sports organizations are looking for an English-language platform, which they will find in CNN Money Switzerland. The channel targets the four million Swiss - half of the country's total population - who speak English as a native language or as a second or third language," he adds.

 

"Influential brand and distinctive content."

"CNN Money Switzerland marks an important step in CNN's corporate strategy. We want to seize opportunities to add value to CNN and provide audiences with new touch points with the brand," said Rani Raad, President CNN International Commercial. "In this case, we are partnering with Media Go to create the first standalone CNN national money channel and strengthen our commitment to a relevant market for issues of international relevance. An influential brand and distinctive content stand out in the news landscape - that's exactly what we want to achieve with CNN Money Switzerland.

 

CNN International Commercial team markets on site

For the marketing of advertising time, Media Go and CNN International Commercial will work together to reach audiences in the premium segment of CNN Money Switzerland. Supporting this, a CNN International Commercial team will interact on the ground in Switzerland to ensure advertisers can take advantage of the full range of advertising opportunities from digital platforms to broadcast programming, reaching both international and Swiss audiences.

Until now, CNN had no office in Switzerland and had to fly in special correspondents for the various important events. As Media Go CEO Christophe Rasch explained to the Sonntagszeitung, the new channel is about more than just reporting on individual events in Switzerland. Rather, the aim is to bring the international business world closer to the Swiss and, conversely, to make Switzerland known as an economic power with a density of CEOs, top researchers and bankers that is unique in the world.

 

Switzerland serves as a laboratory

As Greg Beitchman, the CNN International commercial manager for the Swiss channel, explains in an interview with the Sonntagszeitung, Switzerland will serve as a kind of laboratory to see how well the TV channel works. After all, "it's not impossible that there will be CNN Money channels in other countries as well." Switzerland was chosen as the test environment because the large corporations and luxury brands based in Switzerland are a major topic for CNN. Thanks to its own Swiss editorial team, it would be possible to expand coverage of them and thus also enable advertisers to target the Swiss audience.

CNN Money Switzerland is the latest addition to CNN. CNN Money has already expanded internationally in 2016 with cross-platform programming, particularly through the CNN Moneystream app. In addition, CNN International Commercial has launched local CNN channels in India, Japan, Turkey, Chile, Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as a website in Greece (hae/pd/SaS)