Red Bull Media House

ServusTV Twice Saved from Closure in 2016

This article recounts ServusTV's turbulent history, focusing on dramatic episodes in 2016 when owner Red Bull (and its founder Dietrich Mateschitz) twice announced shutdowns only to reverse course days or weeks later. In April 2016 Ferdinand Wegscheider became head of the channel, shortly before Red Bull announced a planned closure that was withdrawn after employees agreed not to form a works council. On 31 July 2016 Red Bull again announced ending German broadcasts, then reversed that decision and continued. The piece traces subsequent developments: criticism during the COVID era, Dietrich Mateschitz's death in October 2022, ServusTV ending linear broadcasting in Germany at the end of 2023 and moving content to the streaming service ServusTV On, and leadership changes and restructurings through 2025.

Olympia Media Group Takes Over Swiss Sales for Die Zeit

Since July 1, 2026 Olympia Media Group has taken over the Swiss advertising mandate for titles previously represented by Tamedia Advertising, including the Swiss edition of Die Zeit and titles from IQ Media Marketing International and the Jahreszeiten Verlag. Tamedia Advertising confirmed the withdrawal, saying it will focus more on marketing its own Tamedia portfolio and digital business; the company will, however, continue some third‑party sales (for example, it retains Annabelle). Olympia Media Group said the switch arose because Tamedia is prioritising national business, and noted it already represents Bloomberg Media, Il Sole 24 Ore and the travel magazine Seazen in Switzerland. Olympia Media Group is registered in Geneva (since September 2020) and is led by sole shareholder and CEO Rodrigo James Salazar.

ServusTV Dismisses Program Director Goetz Hoefer

ServusTV has suspended and confirmed the departure of Program Director Goetz Hoefer after about three-and-a-half years at the Austrian private broadcaster. Hoefer joined ServusTV in January 2023 from Spiegel TV and briefly held the title of General Manager in 2024 before reverting to Program Director. The station has not given an official reason for the separation; the Salzburger Nachrichten — which first reported the exit — said the suspension is not thought to be related to misconduct. Internal responsibility for ServusTV’s content sits with Matthias Brügelmann at Red Bull Media House. The broadcaster says the program director role will be refilled, but no successor has been announced publicly.