Florian Wanner, CH Media is discontinuing the Today platforms, CH Media’s latest product. Why are you pulling out the stretcher now?
It was a tough decision, especially because we had to announce layoffs. I regret that very much. We put a lot of energy and passion into building the portals, and the attitude is correspondingly bitter. And yet: In the highly competitive online market, the Today portals were unable to achieve the necessary sales. Although the range is increasing, sales development is declining. And we see no way of operating the Today portals in a cost-covering manner in the foreseeable future. That’s why we had to make the very difficult decision to close the platforms.
The platforms will be discontinued immediately. What happens now to the employees?
Unfortunately there will be 34 terminations. However, 22 employees can be offered connection solutions at CH Media. For example, in our regional newspaper, radio and TV editorial offices as well as at TV National.
“The situation on the market is much more competitive than it was back then.”
They could have kept the portals running until the end of the year. Why are you pulling the plug so abruptly?
With rapid implementation we create transparency and clarity. This for our employees, users and advertising customers. In recent years, we have invested in a new product, the Today portals, and created additional positions for journalists. Now we have to undo part of this structure. This is very painful, but essential.
Watson wasn’t profitable for years either, but the portal was given time. Why not the Today platforms?
The situation we find ourselves in is different than when we built Watson. The situation on the market is much more competitive than it was back then. We also feel that with Watson. The portal continues to develop positively, with sales growing compared to the previous year. However, we also notice here that the online market has become even tougher. The difference is that Watson is an established brand. As with Watson, we had high expectations for the Today portals and drove them forward with a start-up mentality. Unfortunately, without the desired economic success in the required time.
Does the decision have an impact on Watson and the other digital offerings?
No. Watson is an established brand in the Swiss media landscape, as are our other digital offerings such as our regionally anchored newspaper brands. They will continue to run as usual, and we would like to bring users from the Today platforms to our established portals, which we are focusing on. We believe in strong journalism and will continue to invest in the digitalization of our journalistic offerings.
Can we expect further downsizing at CH Media in the near future?
The media world is undergoing profound structural change. We are well positioned in the two business areas of publishing and entertainment. And we are convinced that our focus on digital transformation in publishing and expansion in entertainment is right.
