Anyone who works at one of the newspapers of the Zurich media company TX Group is worried about their job these days. There are many layoffs, particularly in western Switzerland. At “24 heures”, “Tribune de Genève” and “Le Matin Dimanche” the terminations that were announced a month ago are now being announced.
Peter Rothenbühler was editor-in-chief on both sides of the Röstigraben. When the former Tamedia, now TX Group, entered the French-speaking Swiss media market, he was there first hand.
Peter Rothenbühler
Journalist
Open the people box. Close the people box
Rothenbühler grew up bilingual in Biel. Over the course of his career, he was, among other things, editor-in-chief of “Sonntagsblick” and “Schweizer Illustrierte”, but also of “Le Matin”, once the most widely read paid newspaper in western Switzerland.
SRF News: Is it understandable that more jobs are being lost in French-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland?
Peter Rothenbühler: It was to be expected because the TX Group’s involvement in French-speaking Switzerland was a tragedy from the start. They were wrong about everything. They paid too much for Pierre Lamunière’s Edipresse publishing house. Lamunière was a very clever publisher. He noticed that newspapers were going backwards and he really wanted to sell them. And TX Group really wanted to buy. They simply paid any price.
They made every mistake you could possibly make.
And when they had these newspapers, they made every mistake you could possibly make. Also in dealing with people. They treated people like they did in Zurich, using their first names – that’s not possible in French-speaking Switzerland. After all, they didn’t launch anything new, they just dismantled it.
Is the French-speaking Swiss media market simply too small to be profitable?
It’s relatively small, but you have to realize that there are about a million and a half possible readers. The newspapers in Valais, Freiburg, Biel and Neuchâtel, for example, are doing well. They work perfectly. Micro-newspapers are also doing very well. You simply have to be able to produce a regional newspaper. A successful regional newspaper.
Even “20 minutes” saves money
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The TX Group savings round at “20 Minutes” also affects more people in French-speaking Switzerland than in German-speaking Switzerland. Seven people are to be laid off in Zurich and 28 in Lausanne and Geneva – a quarter of the western Swiss editorial team. A hard blow for the media center in French-speaking Switzerland, says the Imprint union. “On the one hand, we fear that many topics – especially in the regions – are simply no longer being covered, but on the other hand, it is also an incredibly difficult situation for media professionals,” says Central Secretary Livia Lehner. Those who stayed would be under enormous pressure to produce as much content as the company demanded. Finding a new position in such a small media space is difficult.
Only two years ago, the TX Group increased the editorial staff concerned, but according to the publisher, sales remained below expectations. A cost reduction is necessary, the company writes in a statement.
What would have to happen so that the French-speaking Swiss press landscape does not come to an end, as the Imprint union fears, for example?
It is enough if there is only one good regional daily newspaper in Lausanne – this also applies to Geneva. Then every canton has a good, regional daily newspaper. And the regional daily newspapers can survive. This is shown by “La Liberté” in Freiburg, “Le Nouvelliste” in Valais and also the “Walliser Bote”. The French-speaking Swiss media market is not a catastrophe, but you can no longer stir things up with a big spoon.
Tamedia would be better at running a bank than a publishing house.
Is there anything that politicians should do to help the French-speaking Swiss press?
I am absolutely against politics getting involved. The Vaud government council wants to talk to the TX Group. They have nothing to do there. This is a private company. But this private company only has the goal of maximizing profits because they have a lot of family shareholders who want their dividends.
Satisfying these people is the big goal of the publisher Pietro Supino. That’s why he bought all these online things, these car, real estate and job boards. He makes a lot of money there. He also made a lot of money with “20 Minutes,” but that market is now declining. TX Group would be better at running a bank than a publishing house.
The interview was conducted by Valérie Wacker.
Editorial correction and note
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There were some content errors in the first version of the article. These were created when the conversation was transcribed. We sincerely apologize for this.