Stellenabbau bei Tamedia: Das Medienhaus kämpft mit fortgesetztem Umsatzschwund

Switzerland's largest private news network, Tamedia, is set to reduce its workforce by 34 full-time positions in the coming months. This marks the third such downsizing in recent years, as the media house continues to struggle with declining revenues. The cuts, which amount to about 3% of the company's workforce, will primarily impact news departments in cities such as Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, and Geneva.

Tamedia claims it is the largest private news network in Switzerland, but the print business has failed to offset the ongoing sales decline. Within the first half of 2026, Tamedia reported a 9% drop in operating profits compared to the previous year, with the total revenue falling to roughly 276 million francs. The newspaper sector's advertising earnings have been dwindling, and many advertisers now prefer social media and global platforms for their promotions.

Additionally, Tamedia has closed several printing centers. The company's revenue from subscriptions and retail sales is also on the decline. Print newspapers still account for about 80% of Tamedia's revenue, but the number of print subscribers is declining overall. The CEO, Jessica Peppel-Schulz, announced the transformation towards strengthening the digital business during the annual press conference in March.

While digital subscriptions have increased by 7% to 207,000 in the first half of 2026, they now make up around one-third of all paid memberships. However, digital subscriptions typically generate less revenue compared to print newspapers. Despite increasing digital subscriptions, Tamedia has not managed to grow significantly enough to compensate for the revenue drop in print.

As operating revenues continue to decline, cost-cutting measures such as the announced layoffs are being employed to maintain a positive EBIT margin. Tamedia is focusing on automation and artificial intelligence to enhance its business, such as using a KI-based tool to analyze official announcements from hundreds of municipalities and make them accessible to readers.

However, the future implications of further workforce reductions remain unclear, as Tamedia plans to close two printing plants and lay off a total of 290 employees.