Ringier vs Russmedia

Energy Swiss Radio Group Plans Up to 15 Job Cuts

The Swiss radio group Energy, owned by Ringier, announced on October 22, 2026, plans to cut up to 15 jobs due to pressure on advertising revenues. The group, which broadcasts from Zurich, Bern, and Basel since early 2026 after closing stations in St. Gallen and Lucerne, cited stable listener numbers but declining ad income. The exact number of redundancies will depend on a consultation process with employees, which allows proposals to avoid or mitigate layoffs. The company plans to streamline administrative tasks, internal processes, and editorial structures, with program adjustments also under consideration. Currently, Energy is led ad interim by Alexander Theobald, who took over after CEO Kevin Gander left in June 2026. The announcement follows a previous restructuring that saw five job losses from the station closures.

• Energy group Switzerland plans to cut up to 15 jobs due to pressure on advertising revenues.
• The announcement was made on October 22, 2026, and employees were informed at an internal event.
• A consultation process with employees will determine the exact number of redundancies.

Ticketcorner Ski rebrands to Ticketcorner.Peak for year-round sales

Swiss ticketing company Ticketcorner has renamed its mountain railway platform from 'Ticketcorner Ski' to 'Ticketcorner.Peak'. The move, announced on October 22, 2026, signals that the platform now supports year-round sales for mountain railways, destinations, and distribution partners, not just winter ski tickets. The platform, launched in 2008, was the first in the Alpine region for online ski ticket sales. No new features or changes to apps, ski cards, or distribution channels were announced. The rebranding aligns with industry trends: a 2024 study showed summer transport revenue for Swiss cable cars grew 45% between 2014 and 2022, and a 2026 summer season saw a 10% increase in first entries compared to the previous year, while winter skiing faces challenges from climate change. Ticketcorner is jointly owned by German ticketing group CTS Eventim and Swiss media house Ringier.

• Ticketcorner Ski renamed to Ticketcorner.Peak for year-round mountain railway sales.
• Platform originally launched in 2008 as first online ski ticket seller in the Alpine region.
• Summer transport revenue for Swiss cable cars grew 45% from 2014 to 2022.

Swiss Media Chatbots Seek Their Place

Swiss media companies are experimenting with audience-facing chatbots, but user engagement is uncertain, leading to mixed outcomes. Blick discontinued its 'Frag Blick' chatbot, developed with Google, due to low user interest, and shifted to personalized recommendations. Earlier, its 'Blicki' newsbot was also retired. However, Beobachter maintains a legal chatbot answering around 4,000 questions monthly. NZZ launched 'FragNZZ' in October 2026, answering questions based on its articles since 2018, targeted at higher-tier subscribers. The chatbot is positioned as a guide through the archive rather than a conversational partner. SRF, CH Media, and Tamedia are observing and testing, with Tamedia noting that user interaction is mostly through suggested questions, not self-formulated ones. Media chatbots face competition from general AI assistants like ChatGPT, which often cite media content without permission, leading to contrasting strategies: Blick allows external AIs, while NZZ blocks them.

• Blick discontinued its 'Frag Blick' chatbot developed with Google.
• Beobachter's legal chatbot answers around 4,000 questions per month.
• NZZ launched 'FragNZZ' beta on October 7, 2026, using articles since 2018.

VN-Gespräch mit Wolfgang Burtscher

Russmedia's Vorarlberger Nachrichten hosted the 7th VN-Gespräch event featuring Wolfgang Burtscher at Bildungshaus Arbogast. Burtscher, former editor-in-chief and long-time regional director of ORF Vorarlberg, shared insights into his journalistic career and personal perspectives. The discussion was moderated by VN politics editor Michael Prock and featured an interactive Q&A session with the audience.

• The 7th VN-Gespräch event took place at Bildungshaus Arbogast.
• Guest speaker Wolfgang Burtscher is the former editor-in-chief and long-time regional director of ORF Vorarlberg.
• The event was moderated by VN politics editor Michael Prock.

Russmedia ist offiziell als Great Place To Work Österreich zertifiziert!

Russmedia ist offiziell als Great Place To Work Österreich zertifiziert! Die Zertifizierung basiert auf dem Feedback unserer Teams zu ihrem Arbeitsplatz und ihrem Arbeitsalltag. Besonders freut uns das Ergebnis: 90 % der Mitarbeitenden würden Russmedia als Arbeitgeber weiterempfehlen.

RM Equity Partners Completes Spin-off from Russmedia

RM Equity Partners (RMEP), the investment arm of Austrian media group Russmedia, has completed a management buyout and is now fully independent, with over €500 million in assets under management. The company, based in Ruggell, Liechtenstein, is wholly owned by partners Eugen B. Russ, Chris Wittlinger, and Nicola Szekely, with no remaining ties to Russmedia. RMEP targets majority stakes in profitable, asset-light digital businesses, including online marketplaces, software, and consumer apps, with an annual investment capacity exceeding €100 million and ticket sizes up to €250 million. The portfolio includes over 50 investments, such as Pure, Bergfex, calimoto, and Jobiqo. As part of strategic portfolio optimization, RMEP recently sold assets including Little Bird, Instikom, Erento, and Alpy.

• RM Equity Partners completes spin-off from Russmedia, becoming fully independent via a management buyout.
• RMEP manages over €500 million in assets under management.
• The company is fully owned by partners Eugen B. Russ, Chris Wittlinger, and Nicola Szekely.