Blocher Family Sells 23 Swiss Newspapers

The Blocher family has completed the sale of 23 newspapers, transitioning the publications to a pure online portal format. This acquisition follows a period of significant restructuring and cost-cutting measures within the media group. The sale marks a major shift for the media landscape previously influenced by Christoph Blocher since 2013. While the total purchase price was not disclosed, RobInvest will acquire a 15% stake in IMG. The sale includes titles such as Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich, der Vortaler, and the Winterthurer Stadtanzeige. The total circulation of the newspapers being sold is approximately 700,000 copies. The sale follows years of financial struggles for the free newspaper titles in Switzerland, which have faced staff reductions and cost-cutting measures since 2023. The sale follows a previous report from April 21. This move makes the entity a player in the Swiss newspaper market. Christoph Blocher and his family are selling their stake in the newspaper HG to the subsidiary of IMG, Interact Medium. Robin West will take over a 15 percent stake in IMG as part of the transaction. The family of Christoph Blocher is selling 23 Swiss newspapers, according to a report from SRF 4 News.