The top ice hockey league has sent a letter to TX Group demanding the immediate resumption of game reporting in print newspapers.
The listed TX Group AG has long been much more than just the publisher of the Daily Advertiser from Zurich. Titles like the Sunday Newspaperthe Berner Zeitungthe Bundthe Bernese Oberlandthe Thuner Tagblattthe Langenthal Daily Newspaperthe Basler Zeitungthe Landboatthe Zurich Unterlandthe Zurichsee newspaper and, in French-speaking Switzerland, Sunday Morning, 24 hours and the Geneva Tribune are now part of this nationally operating media group.
Or TX Group has alienated an entire sporting discipline. Let us recall that with a massive cut in positions, including in editorial offices (probably more than 50 jobs for journalists) and a change of concept and strategy, the group is investing, according to its own words, in the continued development of quality journalism. In other words, in improving the journalistic offering.
This improvement in quality is reflected in particular by the fact that newspapers no longer publish articles on matches in the highest league. For the first time since the invention of printing (around 1440), the newspaper no longer talks about the previous day’s match.
It is above all (but not only) a media culture shock in the Bern region. SC Bern and the SCL Tigers have an even higher emotional, cultural, political and sporting value here than the ZSC Lions in the city of Zurich. If the next day there is nothing in the newspaper, It’s almost like a prayer without an amen (that the comparison is not considered blasphemous).
TX Group justifies its decision by changes in the printing center. These would result in shorter turnaround times. In practical terms, this means that newspapers have to send their pages earlier than before.
The message of “24 Hours”
In its Thursday edition, the largest daily newspaper in Vaud warned its readers: “Due to logistical changes in our printing centres at the beginning of 2025, which will result in earlier closing times, We have to adapt our ice hockey coverage from the start of the championshipso as not to have to change during the season.” Concretely, 24 Hours explained to its readers that they will find the LHC match reports on the title’s digital platforms, “but no longer in the printed edition of the newspaper.”
So SCB manager Marc Lüthi, the league’s most eloquent and controversial hockey executive, was asked whether he would take action against what is a media culture shock or whether he would simply accept it. Usually in a good mood, he responded in an unusually irritated manner, explaining that the situation was making him angry.
How can this be remedied? With loudspeaker announcements in the SCB ice rink? With banners? “Just take note that we are complaining,” replies the Bernese.
The SCB manager.Image: zvg
Marc Lüthi is not the only one complaining. As director of the National League, Denis Vaucher has just sent a scathing letter on behalf of the 14 clubs to the women and men on the TX Group command bridge. To publisher Pietro Supino, to director Jessica Peppe-Schulz, to editor-in-chief of Daily Advertiser Raphaela Birrer and journalistic director Simon Bärtschi, who must courageously and firmly defend the elimination of positions and the change of concept and strategy as an investment in quality journalism.
The letter politely expresses the concern in Swiss hockey about the immediate cessation of coverage of National League matches in print editions. It reads in particular:
“You are doing this after a season in which the National League achieved a record number of spectators with over 3 million tickets sold and enjoyed undiminished popularity. You are doing this even though you know that clubs such as the ZSC Lions or CP Bern, among others, attract a large number of spectators in your direct broadcast area. You will notice that we do not understand this decision at all. This is bad news not only for the National League and its clubs in the regions concerned, but also for the entire ice hockey scene and all the efforts associated with it in the youth and women’s hockey.”
The letter ends with a clear request formulated in the form of a petition:
“We urge you to reconsider this decision in the interest of all concerned and to immediately resume print reporting on the National League.”
Time will tell whether Swiss hockey has succeeded in changing the minds of TX Group or whether everything will remain as it is, as the development of quality journalism now requires. Watch this space.
(Translated and adapted by Chiara Lecca and Julien Caloz)
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