Asterix fights in the shadow of the Jungfraujoch
Jungfrau Zeitung preempts BTM cooperation with Thuner Tagblatt and Berner Oberländer
Jungfrau Zeitung preempts BTM cooperation with Thuner Tagblatt and Berner OberländerMovement in the Bernese Oberland newspaper market: Gossweiler Media launches the Jungfrau Zeitung on October 6, thus taking advantage of its opportunity on the eve of the expanded BTM commitment.Because from November 1, the cooperation of the Berner Zeitung BZ with the Thuner Tagblatt and the Berner Oberländer is to become reality. Urs Gossweiler, publisher of the two local papers Hasli Zeitung and Brienzer, wants to pre-empt this advance into his own hunting grounds by launching another local title for the municipality of Interlaken.
The twice-weekly paper with the sensuous title Jungfrau Zeitung rolls off the press for the first time on October 6. It is being produced in collaboration with the Echo von Grindelwald, which will become a Jungfrau Zeitung head paper. Background: the long-established Echo von Grindelwald, which has been printed as a head paper of the Oberländer Volksblatt since 1978, is losing its previous partner. This will be the case from November 1, when the publishing houses Schaer Thun (in which BTM holds 49 percent) and G Maurer in Spiez publish the Berner Oberland Zeitung with the regional editions Thuner Tagblatt and Berner Oberländer under the company name Berner Oberland Medien (BOM), thereby discontinuing the previous Oberländer Volksblatt.
Disappearance of the Oberländer Volksblatt as an opportunity
According to Urs Gossweiler, the concept for the Jungfrau Zeitung has already existed since 1993. "It is only the disappearance of the Oberländer Volksblatt, however, that now opens up opportunities for us to really succeed with the project," says Gossweiler, "because it is one of the most difficult things to position a micro-newspaper in relation to existing titles."
The Jungfrau Zeitung is also expected to take a step forward in the advertising market. It is true that the paper only expects a circulation of 2500 copies in the first year. But together with Hasli Zeitung, Brienzer and Echo von Grindelwald, it will have a total circulation of over 10,000 copies, which will cover the valley basin. "This makes us interesting for major distributors such as Coop and Migros," says Gossweiler.
With the Jungfrau Zeitung, Gossweiler Media intends to further refine its online strategy, in which it is a pioneer: the editorial team immediately puts the permanently generated articles online, and a selection of the most important stories is then printed in the twice-weekly newspaper.
In time for the Swiss Press Congress
Although the website does not promise any financial benefits, such as banner advertising, Gossweiler relies on the cooperation with the homepages of hotels and tourism businesses in the region: for a fee, they can integrate the online news into their own websites.
The Jungfrau Zeitung could not have chosen a better launch date than October 6, because the Swiss Press Association is meeting in Interlaken that very week. The new newspaper is sure to attract a lot of attention. And Gossweiler admits: "The timing couldn't be better. But the coincidence is nevertheless a pure coincidence. The strategy of the Jungfrau Zeitung was to enter the market before the BOM. Because the launch of the BOM was now scheduled for November 1, the beginning of October automatically imposed itself as the launch date for the Jungfrau Zeitung.
Daniel Schifferle
The twice-weekly paper with the sensuous title Jungfrau Zeitung rolls off the press for the first time on October 6. It is being produced in collaboration with the Echo von Grindelwald, which will become a Jungfrau Zeitung head paper. Background: the long-established Echo von Grindelwald, which has been printed as a head paper of the Oberländer Volksblatt since 1978, is losing its previous partner. This will be the case from November 1, when the publishing houses Schaer Thun (in which BTM holds 49 percent) and G Maurer in Spiez publish the Berner Oberland Zeitung with the regional editions Thuner Tagblatt and Berner Oberländer under the company name Berner Oberland Medien (BOM), thereby discontinuing the previous Oberländer Volksblatt.
Disappearance of the Oberländer Volksblatt as an opportunity
According to Urs Gossweiler, the concept for the Jungfrau Zeitung has already existed since 1993. "It is only the disappearance of the Oberländer Volksblatt, however, that now opens up opportunities for us to really succeed with the project," says Gossweiler, "because it is one of the most difficult things to position a micro-newspaper in relation to existing titles."
The Jungfrau Zeitung is also expected to take a step forward in the advertising market. It is true that the paper only expects a circulation of 2500 copies in the first year. But together with Hasli Zeitung, Brienzer and Echo von Grindelwald, it will have a total circulation of over 10,000 copies, which will cover the valley basin. "This makes us interesting for major distributors such as Coop and Migros," says Gossweiler.
With the Jungfrau Zeitung, Gossweiler Media intends to further refine its online strategy, in which it is a pioneer: the editorial team immediately puts the permanently generated articles online, and a selection of the most important stories is then printed in the twice-weekly newspaper.
In time for the Swiss Press Congress
Although the website does not promise any financial benefits, such as banner advertising, Gossweiler relies on the cooperation with the homepages of hotels and tourism businesses in the region: for a fee, they can integrate the online news into their own websites.
The Jungfrau Zeitung could not have chosen a better launch date than October 6, because the Swiss Press Association is meeting in Interlaken that very week. The new newspaper is sure to attract a lot of attention. And Gossweiler admits: "The timing couldn't be better. But the coincidence is nevertheless a pure coincidence. The strategy of the Jungfrau Zeitung was to enter the market before the BOM. Because the launch of the BOM was now scheduled for November 1, the beginning of October automatically imposed itself as the launch date for the Jungfrau Zeitung.
Daniel Schifferle
