Basler Zeitung

Basler Zeitung ( BaZ short ) is the largest newspaper in the Basel area ( Switzerland ). She went in January 1977 from the merger of the left-liberal National-Zeitung with the bourgeois- conservative Basler Nachrichten produced and published by the Basler Zeitung Medien. The Basler Zeitung takes in the northwestern Swiss newspaper landscape a dominant position a ( WEMF - certified edition 2012: 68'279 copies).

General

The weekday edition of the Basler Zeitung, published in four traditional Swiss newspaper format (320 x 475 mm) cut frets: The first covenant is the political events at home and abroad, the second part of the economy and the sports dedicated. The third part covers regional news from the townships Basel, Riehen and Willingen, followed by reports from the Basel Country, the Frick Valley, Sundgau and the Markgraeflerland. The subscribers (not the kiosk buyer) receive on Saturdays also the magazine of Zurich's Tages-Anzeiger as a side dish. On Friday, a " large pad ", which is distributed in the canton of Basel-Country, where the Basler Zeitung is in competition Basellandschaftliche newspaper, free will.

On 8 January 2012, the first edition of the (short " BaZ on Sunday ") appeared "Basler Zeitung am Sonntag". She is in the same format and layout as the held weekdays output, but does not include four frets, but two comprehensive. For several editorial positions were created. On February 24, 2013, the latest edition of the Sunday edition appeared, since subscribers receive the Sunday newspaper TA media.

Predecessor newspapers

National-Zeitung

Home Edition

The first edition of the Swiss National newspaper appeared in 1842 in Basel from opposition to the ancien régime. As of 1877, the newspaper was called only national newspaper (NZ). In 1945, she took over the majority of the free newspaper Baslerstab.

For a long time the NZ as the Basler Nachrichten a bourgeois newspaper until the early 1960s with the radicals ( today FDP.Die liberals ) and broke a socio-critical - left liberal trend in the newspaper was noticeable. This was particularly evident in the reporting of the Zurich globe ruckus: Unlike almost all other Swiss newspapers, the NZ endeavored to provide a balanced representation of youth unrest, criticized the commanded by the Zurich authorities stick actions of the police fiercely and wooed understanding of the rebellious youth. The events of 1968 not only shaped the vision of the articles of NZ, but also the political consciousness of some editors. The discussion at this time democratization reached a restructuring of the editors: The first newspaper in Switzerland, the National Gazette on May 1, 1970 was an editorial statute that the editors promised a say, for example, in hiring, reassignment or dismissal of a redactor and publishing Decide journalistic and technical nature. " We have no editor in chief, and we also do not need ," was the motto. However, the democratic structure became increasingly authoritarian.

The business of the newspaper was unpleasant: 1974, she suffered a major decline in sales advertisements. Compared to the period before the time of acute oil crisis, they sold thirty percent fewer ads. The former publisher Hans -Rudolf Hagemann stated: " The advertisement is the most profitable products that we sell ," and announced in June 1975 corresponding austerity measures. Among others, the following measures were carried out:

• The selling price of a newspaper edition has been increased from 70 to 80 cents.
• In support service, fleet, freight forwarding and manufacturing the Exchange side, the National-Zeitung henceforth worked together with the Basler Nachrichten.
• The paper size has been reduced by another page.
• The fee budget has been reduced by ten percent.
• Three editors were dismissed, and three picture editor women were relegated to secretaries. More layoffs followed.

However, the National-Zeitung could not stand still alone; in the first big media merger of Switzerland, she joined in 1977 along with the Basler Nachrichten for BaZ.

Side dish « Dr Glai Nazi »

" Dr Glai Nazi " with the subtitle " D' Kinderbylag vo dr Nazi Zyttig " was a supplement to the national newspaper for children each Wednesday. She appeared for the first time in 1926, the title was up to number 43 of 1950 (1 November 1950) « The Little Nazi - children's supplement of the National-Zeitung, Basel". . The last issue was published in 1977.

The name comes from the fact that the National-Zeitung was called in Basel in oral language use " Nazi Zyttig " (pronounced with a short A). The name has nothing to do with Nazi within the meaning of National Socialist.

Basel News

The Basel News (BN ) was founded in 1844 as the successor of the company founded in 1729 Avis sheet under the title General Intelligence Journal of the city of Basel and had a liberal- conservative daily. In 1856 they changed their name in Basel News from Switzerland and for Switzerland and a year later in Basel messages. From 1873 to 1902, the tide was in radical hands; the conservative forces of Basel established in its place the General Swiss newspaper until they could take over the Basler Nachrichten again. It stood near the banks: For a long time the private banker Alfred E. Sarasin chaired the Board. At the same time he was also President of the Swiss Bankers Association.

Between 1912 and 1924, and 1944-1972, the Basler Nachrichten published twice daily in a morning and an evening edition. In general, the former was a message, the latter a commentary and opinion sheet, the orientation of the newspaper that most resembled the Liberal Party. The Journal has established itself as one of the leading newspapers in German-speaking Switzerland. In 1976, the Basel News had a circulation of 34,000 copies.

The Basler Nachrichten fought like the National-Zeitung with financial problems. The BN were considered as the leaf of the Basel Daig and were supported by the economy annually with seven figure sums. The BN wrote for a minority that was perceived as elitist and lost by the strong growth of the city of Basel in importance: The majority of the new residents did not identify the specific baslerischen mindset of the BN.

On November 16, 1976, the public of the first major newspaper merger of Switzerland learned: The National-Zeitung and Basler Nachrichten 1977 were merged as of January 31 for the Basler Zeitung. The merger is generally referred to as "Fusion", but in economic terms it is a sale: The National - Zeitung AG took over the assets and liabilities of the Basel report Haus AG ( the publishing house of the Basler Nachrichten ) which was liquidated it. The previously competing publisher founded follows the merger:

" This, after extensive negotiations and all-round agreement that have been made, forward-looking decision based on the realization that only a united effort can solve the increasingly difficult economic and technical problems to the press and to provide the reader with both a newspaper that his high standards sufficient of today. "

From the " detailed negotiations " nothing came to the public: Although various events in the past (for example, the common stock market page from 1975) were evaluated retrospectively as evidence of a merger, the publishers have denied such plans until the end. Even some members of the NZ only found out from the newspaper of the upcoming merger. The BN employees were informed in a meeting convened at short notice. The merger was denounced as a depletion of the opinion culture. Supporters of the BN saw it as a betrayal of liberalism, while supporters of the NZ accused the Basel business circles to have done so in a simple way a critical, uncomfortable newspaper from the neck. The two newspapers had been defined in terms of their opposites. From now on, the new editorial team, which was composed of members of both media houses had to write in a so-called Forum newspaper together for a wider readership.

For the editors of NZ began with the merger, the co-determination law, which did not know the editors of BN, sharply. The merger violated the editorial statutes of both newspapers. More power talked to the publisher and the Board of Directors, which was dominated by representatives of the chemistry and the banks. The unions presented next to the loss of more than a hundred jobs that: " Once again it is clear that freedom of the press in the 'free' market is mere publisher freedom. " With the battle against the restructuring of the editorial board of the NZ and the protest against the merger organized themselves into Switzerland, for the first time journalists in greater measure in a union, in the Swiss journalists Union ( SJU). It was clamped together with the technical staff.

Reorientation 2010/2011

On 8 February 2010, the publishing family Hagemann and Publigroupe announced the sale of its shares in the Basler Zeitung Medien to investors Tito Tettamanti and Martin Wagner. End of September 2010 moved the holding company of the media group its headquarters from Basel to train, where it was renamed the "Watt Capital Holding AG". Domiciled this is in the law firm of Zuger advokāts Ernst Brandenberg, whose working there son Manuel Brandberg is the leading Zuger SVP politician and member of the Board of SVP and AUNS -affiliated newspaper Swiss time.

Was on 14 November 2010 that the owners of the media group Basler Zeitung of corporate advisory and financing company " Robinvest AG » whose Board of Directors Christoph Blocher Blocher and his daughter Rachel is, have issued an advisory mandate. Blocher bar with " Robinvest AG " purely industrial advice and do not take on newspaper content influence. After the advisory mandate Blocher became known, there were 1600 subscription cancellations. The editorial staff rebelled. There were protests.

On 24 November 2010 it was announced that the owners Tettamanti / Wagner who sold immediately and 100 percent of the Basel entrepreneurs and Crossair founder Moritz Suter, " Basler Zeitung Medien ". Suter was Chairman of the Board. As a result, he finished the advisory mandate of Christoph Blocher. The headquarters of the holding was transferred back by train to Basel. Markus Somm was confirmed as Chief Editor.

Moritz Suter gave in an interview in the "NZZ am Sonntag" announced that he had only spent about one million francs for the purchase of the holding company. The investors to which the operative over much more intrinsic value "Basler News and National Zeitung AG " ( Basler Zeitung Medien ) now belongs, remain unknown. Markus Somm presented new editors a, Eugen Sorg from the weekly magazine " The World Week ". On 21 February 2011, the Basler Zeitung announced the dismissal of six progressive majority - critical journalists.

The complaints of the Association for critical media usage (February 2011), the initiative Save Basel! (March 2011 ) and a journalist of the Basler Zeitung (May 2011) at the Swiss Press Council regarding the funding of the opaque sheet were approved on July 13, 2011: The economic domination of the newspaper by Moritz Suter was officially called into question by the Swiss Press Council and a corresponding disclosure demanded.

On April 14, 2011, which established in response to the processes involved in the Basler Zeitung "Foundation for media diversity ." Your goal is to make a competing product to the Basler Zeitung on the legs. The new newspaper called day week appeared for the first time on 28 October 2011.

On December 12, 2011 Moritz Suter joined his shares from Rachel Blocher, ending his attempt to organize the new Basler Zeitung. He resigned as Chairman and as a publisher. Media saw the sale to Christoph Blocher's daughter Rachel as evidence that the Basler Zeitung has long been controlled by Christoph Blocher, despite his denials in the past.

Basler Zeitung, however, was taken over by the newly established " media diversity Holding" based in the canton train Already on 14 December 2011. Majority shareholder was the Ticino financier Tito Tettamanti again. New President of the Basler Zeitung was the National Filippo Leutenegger ( FDP.Die liberals ). The engagement of Rachel and Christoph Blocher changed in an assurance given by Christoph Blocher deficit guarantee against the industrial areas of the Basel Media Group.

BaZ - critical media and also BaZ - critical action Save Basel! but declined further from a strong influence of Blocher and SVP confidant.

The variety of media holding is not to be confused with the Foundation for Media Diversity, the Law Foundation of the competing BaZ -day week. According to Tito Tettamanti is in the choice of the name a mere coincidence.

Editors in chief

Well-known editors

• Bea Wyler
• - minu