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Tamedia: Common business strategy after merger with Edipresse Switzerland

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Tamedia: Common business strategy after merger with Edipresse Switzerland

Article ID:

13172

Further investments in online media – evaluation of sale of radio and TV activities and special interest media Mobil

Lausanne and Zurich, 12 April 2011 - Tamedia and Edipresse Switzerland have adopted a common business strategy with newspapers, magazines and online media as the core business. In view of the par­ticularly unfavourable regulatory environment and modest potential synergies, the sale of the radio and TV activities and the special interest media Mobil is being evaluated. As a consequence of the merger of the two businesses, Tamedia is adapting its business organisation and will structure the seg­ment reporting by mar­kets. Board Member Karl Dietrich Seikel will not stand for re-election. Tibère Adler, Chief Executive Officer of Edipresse Group, will be proposed for election as a new member of the Board of Directors.

 

The media companies Tamedia and Edipresse Switzerland, which merge with the takeover of Edipresse Switzerland by Tamedia, have adopted a common business strategy. The core business remains newspapers and maga­zines with wide distribution and online media. In the coming years, Tamedia plans to further strengthen its newspapers and magazines and grow through investments in its online plat­for­ms and further participations in online businesses. Already in the year 2012, 25 per cent of the result is to be achieved with digital activities.

With the merger of Edipresse Switzerlandand Tamedia, the fourth largest media company, after SRG SSR, Publigroupe and Ringier, is created with a turnover of CHF 1,169.2 million and operating income (EBIT) of CHF 151.9 million (each on the basis of 2010). The business employs a total of 3,398 people (full-time equivalents as per 31 December 2010). The principal locations areBerne, Geneva, Lausanne and Zurich.

Evaluation of the sale of radio and TV activities and special interest media Mobil
At the same time as adopting the new business strategy, Tamedia and Edipresse Switzer­land have decided to evaluate the sale of the radio and TV activities, and also the special interest media Mobil with Automobil Revue and Revue Automobile. While Tamedia has in the past invested in Radio and TV stations, Edipresse Switzerlanddoes not have any own activities in this area. In view of the limited potential synergies, and the uncertain allocation of li­cen­ses to Tamedia after the expiry of the existing transmission licenses, the business may there­fore contemplate a sale of the four stations in spite of the strong positions of Radio 24, Capital FM, TeleBärn and TeleZüri. As a consequence, Edi­presse Switzerland’s par­tici­pation in La Télé is also no longer of strategic importance.

Decisive factors for a sale of the radio and TV stations, and the special interest media, will be, among others, whether a potential purchaser has a clear concept for the further de­velop­ment, whether future perspec­tives exist for the employees, and whether the sale price is convincing. Discussions with potential purchasers are to be commenced in the coming weeks. The evaluation is to be completed by the end of the year.

Karl Dietrich Seikel leaves the Board of Directors – Tibère Adler strengthens the Board of Directors
Karl Dietrich Seikel, a member of the Board of Directors of Tamedia since 1996, will not stand for re-election at the Annual General Meeting on6 May 2011. The former Chief Executive Officer of Der Spiegel wishes to engage himself more in the German pub­lishing world in the future. The Board of Directorsvery much regrets this withdrawal, thanks Karl Dietrich Seikelfor his longstanding commitment to the company and for his important contribution to the development of the business, and will maintain a friendly relationship with him.

In consequence of the merger of Edipresse Switzerland and Tamedia, Tibère Adler, Chief Executive Officer of Edipresse Group since 2005, is to be elected to the Board of Directors of Tamedia. Born in Geneva in 1963, Tibère Adler qualified in law, absolved a Mana­ge­ment Course at IMD in Lausanne, and has been with Edipresse Group since 1993. When he is elected to the Board of Directors of Tamedia, Tibère Adler will resign from all oper­atio­nal duties at Edipresse Switzerland.

New business organisation with business segment Digital
The merger with Edipresse Switzerlandleads to the adaptation of Tamedia’s business organisation as from 1 May 2011. The new business organisation is intended to assure the proximity of the individual media to the users and advertisers and at the same time make possible the utilisation of the benefits of size in the ser­vice areas such as Printing, Production Services or IT. Edipresse Switzerlandwill continue to operate as a business segment under the management of Serge Reymond. The 47 year old mathematician and economist has been the Chief Executive Officer of Edipresse Switzerlandsince 2009 and was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Naville S.A. and held a position in the Swatch Group. He will at the same time become a member of the Management Board of Tamedia.

The online marketplaces and the other online services will be strengthened with the creation of the new Digital Division headed by Christoph Tonini, the Vice Chairman of the Management Board. Ueli Eckstein remains responsible for the Espace Media Division, Rolf Bollmann for the Media Zurich Division and Christoph Tonini for the Media Switzer­landDivision in addition to the Digital Division. All production services and print active­ties will be grouped together under the Publishing Services Division. Andreas Schaf­fner will remain responsible for the Publishing Services Division. The Finances Division combines under the Management of Sandro Macciacchini all financial, real estate and IT services of the company. With the Chairman of the Management Board, Mar­tin Kall, the Management Board of Tame­dia now comprises seven members.


Edipresse Switzerland and Tamedia standardise IT and bring it in house
The entire IT of the new business will be standardised step by step and handled completely in house as from 2013. The new IT will, based on the existing competences in Berne and Lausanne, be close to its internal customers with decentralised teams in Berne, Lausanne and Zurich. Tamedia had in 2004 outsourced the IT in Zurich to Swisscom IT Services. The respective contract expires at the end of 2012. 20 new jobs will be created through the standardisation of the IT and bringing it in house.

Segment reporting structured by markets
With the publication of the half-year results on 31 August 2011, Tamedia will introduce segment reporting structured by markets. The business segment Print Regional covers all regional newspapers and gazettes. The business segment Print National covers all news­papers and magazines with a wide distribution. All areas formerly included in the busi­ness segment Publishing Services will in future be included in the business segment Print Regional. The inclusion of these areas, which serve almost exclusively internal customers, in the business segment Print Regional, and the disclosure of the segments Print National and Digital, increases the comparability with other media businesses. The online media and radio and TV comprise together the business segment Digital, which will gain further in importance in the coming years.

 

Further information on Tamedia:  www.tamedia.ch with Newsletter Service

Executive Report 2010 on  www.tamedia.ch under Investor Relations > Financial Reports

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Further press releases:

 Press Release Common business strategy after merger with Edipresse Switzerland
 Organisational Chart Tamedia AG valid as of 1 May 2011
 Press Release Year Results 2010
 Annual Report 2010
 Invitation to the Media and Analyst's Conference

 

Author

Michael Spinner-Just's picture

Michael Spinner-Just

Date

2011-04-12 07:26

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