Stories from Zurich · Switzerland

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.