Solid advertising revenues and the appearance of more commercial broadcasters have prepared the ground for what experts predict will be an increasingly fierce battle among Swiss media companies in the coming months.

Solid advertising revenues and the appearance of more commercial broadcasters have prepared the ground for what experts predict will be an increasingly fierce battle among Swiss media companies in the coming months.

Many publishing companies have seen advertising revenue go up by ten per cent last year, padding financial resources that have now helped stop a decline in newspaper publication in Switzerland's four language regions.

The solid financial situation has led to a more aggressive targetting of customers and niche markets.

In one example of this, a second French-language Sunday newspaper, Dimanche.ch, has been launched, prompting the main French-language daily, Le Temps, to announce plans for a new weekend edition.

Even though one or two traditional newspapers folded in the past year - for instance the niche market publication Sport - new commuter newspapers appeared on the market. 20 Minutes and Zurich Express are free sheets mainly targetting people travelling to and from Zurich, the business capital of Switzerland. A third paper, Metro, is due to be launched later this month.

Many of the 26 cantons in the country have local newspapers, local radio and - in the latest commercial battle for the customer - privately-funded television stations. This makes Switzerland one of the countries with the highest media density in Europe.

No less than three new regional commercial TV stations went on air last year, in addition to two nationwide commercial stations and official Swiss television, which broadcasts in German, French, Italian, and to a lesser degree, Rumantsch.

There are now 36 commercial local and regional TV stations in Switzerland, which has a population of just over 7 million.

The commercial pressure is also felt by national public radio and television, which is financed by advertising revenue and licence fees. The public broadcasters are well ahead of the commercial radio and TV stations in ratings, but they have had to start fighting off competition by rethinking their programmes and presentation.

From staff and wire reports.

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