"I put way too much faith in my dreams instead of the professionals".

Christian Heeb (65) has founded the Basel-based online magazine Barfi Founded in 2015 - with current information and background stories about the Basel region, the "capital of the world". Barfi is named after Barfüsserplatz in the center of downtown Basel. Heeb himself is a media man with heart and soul. His professional stations led him via SRG (radio and television) early on to Südwestfunk Baden-Baden (Pop Shop/SWF 3). He was the first voice on Radio 24 and manager of its broadcasting studios in Como, before founding Radio Basilisk as an entrepreneur in his own right. After two successful decades, he sold it to Tamedia together with his business partner Ledermann, and after various other investments in the industry, the joint idea of Barfi with media professor Dr. Neumann-Braun (University of Basel) and the great journalistic veteran Hans-Jürg (Fibo) Deutsch.

Werbewoche: Barfi is closed due to empty coffers, but not buried, you communicated on August 18. Only a little later you said that since this announcement you had received possible proposals for solutions. Has anything materialized yet? Is there still hope for the online magazine after all?

Christian Heeb: Currently, to my own surprise, I am actually having serious discussions about whether the survival of our still existing company has a chance.

You can't say anything concrete yet?

No, I first have to discuss the proposals with the administrator in great detail. But this much: If it goes ahead, it will probably be in a completely new direction and without me as a person.

If it continues, it will probably be in a completely new direction and without my person.

When you look back: What went wrong?

We had enormous publishing success, but made big mistakes in acquiring regional advertisers. Clearly my own mistake. I hired two young, very well-educated media scientists. However, the decision-makers at the local SMEs were often overwhelmed by the proposals of these experts. They usually belong to a different generation and terms like unique visitors and page impressions are foreign to them. Instead, I should have relied on tried-and-true salespeople. Those who already have a long-standing relationship of trust with potential customers and convince them with a: "Let's try something". Because once you booked advertising with Barfi, you stuck with it. I trusted far too much in my dreams instead of in the professionals who advised me very early on to do things differently.

I should have relied on tried-and-true vendors.

Three years ago, you didn't have the experience you have now. Which financing model did you start with in mind?

I was spoiled throughout my professional life by being allowed to be in the black with almost all companies from day one. With the exception of my time at SRG and Südwestfunk, where financing was assured in my day anyway, regardless of performance and acceptance. But with Barfi, I simply came too early. The digital revolution had not yet arrived in the local market at that time. I'm convinced that our mix of service, local information, and self-indulgence in our own city will work well throughout Switzerland very soon.

Barfi has already been very well received by readers. In the month of July alone, before the interruption, you reached over 450,000 unique visitors. What was your recipe for success in this respect?

Basel does not have an alpine panorama and lake like Zurich. But life in the Barfi region is incredibly beautiful. For example, a Basel resident can spontaneously decide where to go out to eat in the evening - whether in Switzerland, France or Germany is irrelevant. For us, there are no borders. Basel is the capital of an entire region, and it encompasses various countries and cantons: Switzerland, France, the German Markgräfler Land, and also parts of Solothurn and Aargau - in fact, everything that happens on this side of the Jura. All of them are enviously interested in what is going on around the center of Basel. Playing on this keyboard of togetherness was a key to Barfi's success. At the same time, Basel is Switzerland's cultural capital, boasts the most museums in the country, and is a never-ending source of everyday stories that go unnoticed on the other side of the Jura. But reporting on precisely this with a focus is fun and brought coverage.

What topics did you focus on in your reporting - and did you also deliberately exclude areas?

We excluded all cheap tabloid topics. We did not publish the usual people stories with cultivated celebrities and Cervelat celebrities. We also strictly excluded violent videos that were repeatedly leaked to us - including videos of someone throwing himself in front of a train. What other media sometimes broadcast without inhibition and due respect was absolutely taboo for us. And we fought against any kind of racist tendencies in the social media. Political balance in reporting was also very important to us: In the professional editorial team, all political camps were covered, with the exception of the extreme groups on the left and right. I feel - and I also demanded this of my staff - that I am committed to the ethical and craft principles of journalism. Even if this may no longer be affordable in the future in the way I was able to live it with passion for 40 years and will disappear.

What other media partly bring without inhibitions and due respect, was absolutely taboo with us.

How were you positioned most recently? How many employees were permanently employed, how many worked freelance?

We were 17 part-time employees. In total, that corresponded to nine 100-percent positions. In addition, there were five freelancers and two freelance translators. The team was a family.

Compared to other city magazines, you were a large team. Looking back, do you think you employed too many permanent staff?

No. Measured against our journalistic output, we had too few employees rather than too many. We also strictly adhered to our cost budget of less than two million francs. But an efficient cost structure is of no use if you also overestimate your revenues to such an extent. My own personal, unforgivable mistake.

Did you pay industry standard wages or start-up wages below average?

We paid the wages customary in the industry, in some cases even significantly higher than competitors. And when we worked with students, my credo has always been: train and don't exploit.

You said that in two to three years, the market could reach the point where online magazines will be able to finance themselves. What would have to change for this to happen?

What I have heard from well-known publishers - also and especially in German-speaking countries - for years is mostly just helpless statements and no clear strategies. Users have been spoiled with free news for more than a decade because of this fact. As a result, the vast majority of two generations are no longer willing to pay for clean journalism. I am indeed an opponent of the paywall. But publishers must finally agree on a uniform system and realize that they cannot stubbornly orient themselves to their own golden age. They're never coming back. If established media companies are making a profit today thanks to the finally daring entry into the digital world, then it is primarily through revenues from real estate or vehicle portals and not with their previous core task of publishing offerings. In terms of state and media policy, this cannot be the solution for our country.

What I hear from well-known publishers are mostly just helpless statements and no clear strategies.

So your outlook for the future of digital media is rather black after all?

No, I am convinced that basic financing through advertising online will be very possible in the future. First of all, the massive costs for paper, printing and distribution will be eliminated. But it would finally have to be accepted that the same prices are not paid for advertising on mobile devices as used to be paid for double glossy pages. Those who stop simply "printing" their print offerings as e-paper on screens instead of paper have great opportunities. Barfi has proven the need with almost half a million visitors in a single region.

How do you rate the chances for the new Basel-based online magazine Prime News?

As far as I know, Prime News employs only one permanent employee and works with freelance journalists. A completely different concept than Barfi, not comparable in terms of output volume and topic setting. But of course I wish Christian Keller success and keep my fingers crossed.

What happens now for the Barfi team and for you personally?

The company is not bankrupt. Now we are in the middle of the talks mentioned at the beginning, whether it can be integrated into another company or find a partner. It's a pity that we only received this national attention because of our temporary failure. But whatever the outcome, I myself will not stop working as a journalist and publicist - the new challenges are far too exciting for that.

Interview: Ann-Kathrin Kübler