Supino ties receipt of "Bern model" to conditions
According to publisher Pietro Supino, Tamedia wants to continue the "Bern model" with two competing daily newspapers. However, Supino is making the retention of Der Bund and Berner Zeitung subject to political conditions, among other things.
In addition to the willingness of the reading public to pay and advertising investments by the economy, politics is called upon, writes Supino, who also presides over the Swiss Media Publishers Association, in an article published on Thursday to mark the 170th anniversary of the daily newspaper. The Covenant published article.
Politics could make a significant contribution to managing structural change. For example, by preventing the federal parliament from Confederation and Bernese Newspaper be disadvantaged in the law on the promotion of online media by the so-called holding clause.
However, the merger under one corporate roof was a prerequisite for "maintaining two newspapers with respectable editorial teams in Bern". Looking to the future, this is only possible if this entrepreneurial achievement is appreciated and the legal framework conditions are "not worse compared to other media offerings.
The bill on media subsidies is expected to come before the National Council in the winter session. The media package could be amended in the spring at the earliest, and entry into force is realistic at the beginning of 2022 at the earliest.
"Distortion of competition" by scoreboard
Another example of "how politics can make a significant contribution are the scoreboards," Supino writes. Instead of "losing a lot of money and distorting competition" with the scoreboards, the governments of the city and canton of Bern should look for a joint solution. (SDA)
