Publishers gear up against joint venture

The past week announced merger of advertising marketing by Swisscom, Ringier and SRG is causing red faces at the Swiss Media Association (VSM). Among other things, there are fears of distortions of competition and a creeping undermining of the SRG's online advertising ban. Following heated discussions at the VSM board meeting on Tuesday, Ringier withdrew from the association on Thursday, as Group CEO Marc Walder had to accept accusations that, as a former SRG critic, he was putting himself in the same boat as the radio and TV company (Werbewoche.ch reported).

VSM President Hanspeter Lebrument was combative in an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag. "We will do everything we can to prevent public broadcasters from intervening more in the advertising business," says the Somedia publisher. All available means would be exhausted.

It is not yet clear what these will be. Any ruling by the Weko, which is currently conducting a preliminary review of the deal, can only be appealed by the parties involved. An appeal to the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) would be possible. The Uvek examines the effects of activities outside the licensed activities of the SRG on its core business as well as on the private media companies. Conditions or bans imposed cannot be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court.

But before taking legal action, Lebrument told the NZZ am Sonntag that he would seek talks with Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard. It is hoped that Leuthard will take the publishers' concerns seriously, as she did when it came to the online ban for SRG. They believe that this time, too, the SRG will not succeed in penetrating the advertising business of the private media. According to the Uvek, Leuthard will soon look into the planned joint venture and have the companies inform her about the exact content.

Jacqueline Badran enthusiastic

The planned advertising alliance is not only met with criticism. IT entrepreneur and SP National Councilor Jacqueline Badran is enthusiastic in an interview with Schweiz am Sonntag. She says it is the right response to give the convergent advertising industry what it wants - namely the ability to address specific target groups. This is the right response to Youtube, Facebook and Google, which today dominate personalized advertising. Despite their proximity to the state, SRG and Swisscom had to act in an entrepreneurial manner - and Ringier had wisely joined this alliance. Badran advises Tamedia publisher Pietro Supino that instead of lamenting, Tamedia should join forces with Goldbach. Supino is said to have been terribly outraged at Ringier's "betrayal" in the VSM. (NZZaS, SaS, hae)

(Teaser image: SRG, Ringier, Swisscom, Keystone)