The newspaper war finds no end
BTM launches commuter newspaper Berner Bär, Confederation and BTM consider cooperation with 20 Minuten
BTM launches commuter newspaper Berner Bär, Bund and BTM consider cooperation with 20 MinutenBy Markus Knöpfli In Bern, the Bund has been awarded the concession for the Anzeiger Region Bern. Berner Tagblatt Medien (BTM) is responding by publishing the commuter newspaper Berner Bär. And 20 Minuten is continuing to work on its Bern project, with which BTM and the federal government are considering a cooperation.
In Bern, the cards are currently being reshuffled when it comes to free newspapers. The Verein Region Bern (VRB), an association of the city of Bern and around 20 surrounding municipalities, has been heavily involved. It has awarded the federal government the concession for a new Anzeiger Region Bern. The reason: the federal government had promised at least CHF 200,000 more in concession fees. In concrete terms, the VRB expects to receive CHF 3.7 million a year, around CHF 1 million more than before. From January 1, 2001, this gazette with official publications is to be delivered free of charge four times a week to all 75,000 households in Berne and twice a week to 58,000 households in 14 other municipalities.
The new Anzeiger will replace the Anzeiger rund um Bern (ARUB) published by BTM and the Stadtanzeiger from the federal government. The VRB had opted for a joint paper in newspaper format because the dispute over the Anzeiger had resulted in the loss of around CHF 500,000 a year in concession income, particularly for the rural communities. The dispute between the federal government and BTM broke out in 1995 when the federal government was awarded the city gazette concession. At the time, BTM launched the Tagblatt der Stadt Bern as a competitor, to which the federal government responded with a large weekly circulation of the Stadtanzeiger to the ARUB in the surrounding municipalities.
BTM merges Tagblatt and Berner Bär
BTM is now reacting to the VRB decision by merging the Tagblatt and the Berner Bär from the fall and launching a new free newspaper entitled Berner Bär, which will be published two to four times a week in and around Bern. According to board delegate Albert P. Stäheli, the initial circulation will be 150,000 copies, but the newspaper-format paper will then be expanded into a commuter newspaper with 200,000 copies, which will also be distributed by colporteurs in Burgdorf, Thun and Langenthal. A juicy detail: advertising acquisition for the Berner Bär will be handled by Publimag, and for the new Anzeiger Region Bern by Publicitas. Both are wholly owned Publigroup subsidiaries.
Two to four free Bernese titles are possible from the fall
In addition to Bund and BTM, 20 Minuten is also involved in Bern: Project manager Sacha Wigdorovits has already appointed Blick journalist Dieter Liechti as managing editor of the Bern edition. And former Berner Bär publisher and editor-in-chief Hans R. Amrein is helping him make contacts in the Bern region.
However, this does not mean that there will actually be three free newspapers for the people of Bern from the fall - there could be two or even four. Metropol is being considered as a fourth provider, but they are keeping a low profile. However, a reduction to two papers would probably occur if Berner Bär and 20 Minuten were to cooperate. According to Stäheli, talks are taking place between him and Wigdorovits, but it is not yet clear whether
everything is still open. BTM is always willing to discuss cooperation in the printing sector. However, Albert Stäheli described the statement by Chairman of the Board Charles von Graffenried (WW 20), according to which BTM had been offered a stake in 20 Minuten, as false.
Talks are also taking place between the Bund and 20 Minuten, as confirmed by publishing director J. Pepe Wiss. But what is being discussed? The federal government had to promise the VRB that it would not publish a competing newspaper to the Anzeiger, and a merger of the Anzeiger and 20 Minuten is prevented by the cantonal advertising ordinance, which prohibits editorial content in advertisements. But for Wiss, the last word has not yet been spoken.
Are NZZ and 20 Minuten cooperating in Bern?
But even if a cooperation does not materialize, one thing cannot be ruled out: namely that the Bund owner NZZ will join forces with 20 Minuten in Bern in order to benefit from the advertising revenue. While 20 Minuten and NZZ did not want to say anything about this, the VRB is aware of it. However, such a merger would not fall under the non-competition clause agreed with the federal government, said deputy VRB managing director Isabelle Meyer.
But it would probably have far-reaching consequences in Zurich, where the NZZ holds a 40 percent stake in the Zürich Express. A rift with its partner TA-Media there, which in turn holds a 49 percent stake in the Berner Zeitung, could not be ruled out in this case.
City-Kombi takes shapeThe contracts for the City-Kombi between the new Berner Bär, Zürich Express (ZE) and the yet-to-be-created counterpart in Basel are in draft form, according to Stäheli. The Kombi is scheduled to start on September 1. The ball is currently in Basel and Zurich's court. No one at the Basler Medien-Gruppe (BMG) could be reached by WW. ZE publishing director Heinz Krebs explained that a final decision on ZE's participation would be made at a board meeting on June 8. A combined participation is 90 percent certain. An extension of the combination to Lucerne, St. Gallen and Winterthur will only be considered once the contract between ZE, Berner Bär and BMG has been signed.
In Bern, the cards are currently being reshuffled when it comes to free newspapers. The Verein Region Bern (VRB), an association of the city of Bern and around 20 surrounding municipalities, has been heavily involved. It has awarded the federal government the concession for a new Anzeiger Region Bern. The reason: the federal government had promised at least CHF 200,000 more in concession fees. In concrete terms, the VRB expects to receive CHF 3.7 million a year, around CHF 1 million more than before. From January 1, 2001, this gazette with official publications is to be delivered free of charge four times a week to all 75,000 households in Berne and twice a week to 58,000 households in 14 other municipalities.
The new Anzeiger will replace the Anzeiger rund um Bern (ARUB) published by BTM and the Stadtanzeiger from the federal government. The VRB had opted for a joint paper in newspaper format because the dispute over the Anzeiger had resulted in the loss of around CHF 500,000 a year in concession income, particularly for the rural communities. The dispute between the federal government and BTM broke out in 1995 when the federal government was awarded the city gazette concession. At the time, BTM launched the Tagblatt der Stadt Bern as a competitor, to which the federal government responded with a large weekly circulation of the Stadtanzeiger to the ARUB in the surrounding municipalities.
BTM merges Tagblatt and Berner Bär
BTM is now reacting to the VRB decision by merging the Tagblatt and the Berner Bär from the fall and launching a new free newspaper entitled Berner Bär, which will be published two to four times a week in and around Bern. According to board delegate Albert P. Stäheli, the initial circulation will be 150,000 copies, but the newspaper-format paper will then be expanded into a commuter newspaper with 200,000 copies, which will also be distributed by colporteurs in Burgdorf, Thun and Langenthal. A juicy detail: advertising acquisition for the Berner Bär will be handled by Publimag, and for the new Anzeiger Region Bern by Publicitas. Both are wholly owned Publigroup subsidiaries.
Two to four free Bernese titles are possible from the fall
In addition to Bund and BTM, 20 Minuten is also involved in Bern: Project manager Sacha Wigdorovits has already appointed Blick journalist Dieter Liechti as managing editor of the Bern edition. And former Berner Bär publisher and editor-in-chief Hans R. Amrein is helping him make contacts in the Bern region.
However, this does not mean that there will actually be three free newspapers for the people of Bern from the fall - there could be two or even four. Metropol is being considered as a fourth provider, but they are keeping a low profile. However, a reduction to two papers would probably occur if Berner Bär and 20 Minuten were to cooperate. According to Stäheli, talks are taking place between him and Wigdorovits, but it is not yet clear whether
everything is still open. BTM is always willing to discuss cooperation in the printing sector. However, Albert Stäheli described the statement by Chairman of the Board Charles von Graffenried (WW 20), according to which BTM had been offered a stake in 20 Minuten, as false.
Talks are also taking place between the Bund and 20 Minuten, as confirmed by publishing director J. Pepe Wiss. But what is being discussed? The federal government had to promise the VRB that it would not publish a competing newspaper to the Anzeiger, and a merger of the Anzeiger and 20 Minuten is prevented by the cantonal advertising ordinance, which prohibits editorial content in advertisements. But for Wiss, the last word has not yet been spoken.
Are NZZ and 20 Minuten cooperating in Bern?
But even if a cooperation does not materialize, one thing cannot be ruled out: namely that the Bund owner NZZ will join forces with 20 Minuten in Bern in order to benefit from the advertising revenue. While 20 Minuten and NZZ did not want to say anything about this, the VRB is aware of it. However, such a merger would not fall under the non-competition clause agreed with the federal government, said deputy VRB managing director Isabelle Meyer.
But it would probably have far-reaching consequences in Zurich, where the NZZ holds a 40 percent stake in the Zürich Express. A rift with its partner TA-Media there, which in turn holds a 49 percent stake in the Berner Zeitung, could not be ruled out in this case.
City-Kombi takes shapeThe contracts for the City-Kombi between the new Berner Bär, Zürich Express (ZE) and the yet-to-be-created counterpart in Basel are in draft form, according to Stäheli. The Kombi is scheduled to start on September 1. The ball is currently in Basel and Zurich's court. No one at the Basler Medien-Gruppe (BMG) could be reached by WW. ZE publishing director Heinz Krebs explained that a final decision on ZE's participation would be made at a board meeting on June 8. A combined participation is 90 percent certain. An extension of the combination to Lucerne, St. Gallen and Winterthur will only be considered once the contract between ZE, Berner Bär and BMG has been signed.
