1996

TA-Media founds the SMD Schweizer Medien Databank AG together with the Swiss Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft (SRG) and Ringier. SMD makes articles, which have appeared in Swiss newspapers and magazines as well as in the international press, electronically retrievable. TA-Media founds a separate business division for the new medium Internet.

As the previous majority stockholder for the Anzeiger von Uster it creates a new ownership structure in which the Druckerei Wetzikon AG, the publisher of the Zürcher Oberländer, has a participatory share. This makes it possible for the Anzeiger von Uster, to be published as a copy of the Zürcher Oberländer only with a different name and different local section. TA-Media becomes a minority stockholder of the Anzeiger von Uster AG. The 50 percent share of TA-Media in Conzett + Walter AG is sold to its management.

The T-Media printing facility produces very high quality products. The Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems confirms with a certificate that the printing center complies with the international quality standard ISO 9001.

As successor to Gina Gysin, Angela Oelckers becomes editor-in-chief of Annabelle. The Zurich city magazine Bonus is discontinued. The Tages-Anzeiger launches a special computer section. It takes on 100% ownership of PCtipp, previously published jointly with IDG.

1997

TA-Media makes further advances into the digital media world. Together with the Neue Zürcher Zeitung and Ringier, it founds the PrintNet (PNCH) AG. Thanks to the electronic network of PrintNet, advertising clients can transmit their ads digitally to newspaper and magazine publishers. Films become superfluous and work procedures simpler and faster.

The printed classified ads receive a supplement in the Internet. SwissClick provides a national overview of vacant jobs and job searches, real estate and apartments, cars and events. SwissClick is operated by the PressWeb AG, in which the publishing firms TA-Media, AG for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Basler Mediengruppe and Edipresse AG as well as the Publicitas SA participate.

In April Roger de Weck, editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger and managing director of mass communications, decides to leave TA-Media due to differences of opinion within management. Thomas Biland is named interim editor-in-chief.

Additional changes of personnel characterize the year. Ueli Haldimann resigns as editor-in-chief of the SonntagsZeitung. Editor-in-chief Andreas Durisch switches from Schweizer Familie to the SonntagsZeitung. René Bortolani takes on his position at Schweizer Familie, who in turn passes on his responsibilities as head of Das Magazin to Roger Köppel. Dietrich Berg becomes the publishing director of the Tages-Anzeiger, Alexander Theobal publishing director of the SonntagsZeitung, Roland Wahrenberger publishing director of Schweizer Familie, and Jean-Pierre Ritler publishing director of Annabelle.

The Tages-Anzeiger is given more color and new typography. It appears in its new look for the first time on 27 August. With the introduction of the new layout, it makes the largest step in the development of its layout since 1963 when it began to distinguish news and commentary typographically and switched from four to five newspaper columns. Alpha is published for the first time on 8 March, the largest advertiser for management jobs in Switzerland. Alpha is inserted in both the Saturday issue of the Tages-Anzeiger and the SonntagsZeitung. The television program magazine TVplus is merged with its previous competitor TV-Extra from Ringier to form TVtäglich.

1998

On 1 January, Esther Girsberger takes up her position as the new editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger.

The newspaper for young adults, Ernst, is integrated into the Tages-Anzeiger. It appears as the sixth section on Wednesdays. This section is dedicated to another topic on other days: "Computer", "Savoir vivre", "Auto und Technik", "Reisen", and "Leute". The city of Winterthur is given its own page in the newspaper.

The PrintNet (PNCH) AG merges with its competitor Media-Online from the Publicitas SA to form the PrintOnline AG, which provides one single solution for digital advertising transmission for the complete industry. TA-Media has a 25 percent share of the PrintOnline AG.

Tamedia purchases the woman's magazine Orella from Vogt-Schild/Habegger at the end of June and integrates it into Annabelle which consequently further expands its position as the leading woman's magazine in Switzerland. At its premiere on 16 October, Orella becomes Annabelle Création. The readers of Orella and Annabelle receive two new magazines: every 14 days Annabelle and in addition monthly Annabelle Création.

At the beginning of June, TA-Media founds the TV3 AG jointly with the Luxembourg-based Scandinavian Broadcasting System SA and applies to the Federal Communications Agency for a license for the first full-time private television program in Switzerland. Jürg Wildberger, previous editor-in-chief of Facts, is named managing director of the TV3 AG. The previous deputy editor-in-chief, René Lüchinger, becomes his successor.

In August, TA-Media presents its plan to construct a seven-story glass building to replace the Derendinger building. The real estate on the Baslerstrasse will be sold to help finance it. The architectural ideas for the Werd Media Building are from the Zurich-based atelier ww.

In September, management and the administrative board of TA-Media decide to concentrate operations of the printing facility on newspaper printing and commercial web offset press printing and to cease gravure printing at the end of October 1999. Consequently, 97 jobs are made redundant. Seventy persons retire early. The other employees affected are retrained in newspaper offset printing or remain employed in other areas of TA-Media. TA-Media provides 11 million francs for the early retirement and retraining.

At the end of November, the private, Zurich-based broadcaster Radio Zürisee and TA-Media decided to cooperate more closely. TA-Media acquires 25 percent of the capital stock.

After 31 years of successful employment at TA-Media, most recently as managing director of the printing facility, Armin Feitknecht decides to retire on 31 December.

1999

On 1 January, Jürg Brauchli, managing director of advertisements, sales and IT, assumes the additional responsibility for the printing facility.

Also on 1 January, the previous general staff manager Arthur Liener assumes his position as ombudsman of TA-Media. Arthur Liener has a Ph.D. and is the person to whom readers can complain. He works to ensure compliance with ethical principles in the journalistic and advertising parts of all publications of the company.

Our culture magazine Du is published with a new cover starting in January. A twelve-page journal, Hinterland is added to the issues, which continue to be dedicated to one topic each. Hinterland contains interesting news about culture, politics and society. Du is able to provide a widespread international network of excellent authors for Hinterland.

The Condor Films AG in which TA-Media holds a majority share sheds the sector feature films and tv-series; this sector is subsequently taken over by the newly founded C-Films AG, which is independent of TA-Media. From 1 January onwards, Condor Films concentrates on its core business of advertising clips and corporate communication.

Starting in January 1999, Das Magazin is no longer inserted in the Berner Zeitung. Das Magazin appears with a new look on 9 January, which is characterized by an innovative and reader-friendly design. The Magazin art director Wendelin Hess designed the layout; he won first prize of the Society of Typographic Designers in London in 1998. He received advice from Simon Esterson, one of the great English newspaper designers; among other things he redid the look of the Sunday Times and the weekly supplement of the Guardian.

In April, Christa Löpfe becomes the editor-in-chief of Annabelle, where she had been art director and deputy editor-in-chief since the fall of 1998. She takes over the position from Angela Oelckers, who returns to Germany for personal reasons. Ursula Jucker becomes editor-in-chief of Annbelle Création; she was the former editor-in-chief of Orella and responsible for the new concept and launching of Annabelle Création.

In May, TA-Media exercises its contractual preemptive right with respect to half of the stake of the Ringier AG in the Telezüri AG and consequently has a share of 50 percent of the capital and 37.5 percent of the votes in the TeleZüri AG alongside of the Belcom Holding AG of Roger Schawinski.

On 20 June, the SonntagsZeitung is published with a new look. In the carefully planned redesign, attention was paid to optical quality and reader-friendliness. For example, the first page of each of the eight sections - news, topic, sports, culture, business, innovation, trends and travel - first present an overview of the most important stories at a glance. Texts are also accessed more quickly, because the lead article has been eliminated. The heading and the subheading state the essence of the article.

At the end of June, TA-Media decides to implement profit sharing of five percent of the operating result as the first media company to do so in Switzerland. All employees are equal in this. The profit-shares will be paid for the first time following the press conference about the balance sheet in the following year. The directive applies up to and including the year 2003.

In June, a small radio studio is set up in the Tages-Anzeiger journalistic offices. The radio staff managed by the editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger provides Radio Zürisee with current news from the city of Zurich and the surrounding metropolitan area since the middle of June in the early morning, at noon and in the early evening.

On 6 July, TA-Media sells its real estate at Uetlibergstrasse and Baslerstrasse. The building at Baslerstrasse is rented for the following year. While the offices will move to the Werd property in 2001, commercial web offset printing will remain there for the time being. The sale of both properties is an essential component of the newly defined real estate strategy of TA-Media in addition to construction of the Werd Media Building. The flexibility required in today's market is achieved by renting space and not binding funds in real estate.

Starting on 30 August, the Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich is published under the name Zürich Express. Zürich Express wants to provide city residents and commuters in the Zurich metropolitan area a fast overview of events in the world, Switzerland, the region and city. The newspaper with a new layout that can be read quickly is designed to stimulate a younger audience to read newspaper articles too. The Zürich Express is no longer printed at the NZZ as previously, the partner with a 40 percent share, but instead at TA-Media.

TA-Media wants to operate its Internet classified ads business independently in the future. Consequently, TA-Media terminates its contract with the Pressweb AG as a precautionary measure as of the end of June. Its stockholders include Publigroupe, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Edipresse and the Basler Mediengruppe in addition to TA-Media. In September, TA-Media founds the Winner Market AG with Job, Immo, Car, Auction and Partner Winner AG. It wants to promote the online classified ads business specifically with this corporate group. Jürg Grau becomes CEO of the new company, previously managing director of the Pressweb AG, where he launched the Swissclick platform with a great deal of success.

After the Federal Council grants the broadcasting license for TV3 on 15 March, the first private Swiss television station starts broadcasting with a complete program on 6 September. Jürg Wildberger, former editor-in-chief of Facts, is the managing director. Klaus Vieli, former head of "Rundschau" at SF DRS, becomes the editor-in-chief. Among others, the Swiss-Italian show host Michelle Hunziker is recruited for a lifestyle show. TV3 is a joint venture of TA-Media and the Scandinavian Broadcasting System (SBS).

On 28 September, there is a big closing party for the gravure printing department on Uetlibergstrasse, "ADE IMAGO". Production had ended here on 20 August. With TVtäglich no. 34, 72 years of gravure printing at TA-Media had come to an end. In their speeches, Hans Heinrich Coninx, Michel M. Fauvre and Jürg Brauchli praise the work of the former workers of the department and wish them all the best in their retirement or their new jobs within the company.

At the end of September, Esther Girsberger, editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger and member of management resigns from Tamedia. She accepts an offer as Head of Communication at the internationally operating Novartis Company. She leaves TA-Media at the end of October. Philipp Löpfe becomes interim editor-in-chief.

TA-Media sells its stake of 35 percent in Radiotele to the Mediatransfer Holding AG, owned by Bruno Oetterli, president of the administrative board and managing director of the Radiotele AG, at the beginning of November. Radiotele is active in the area of acquisition of national advertising for radio, teletext and television. TA-Media had acquired a majority stake in Radiotele in 1990. This became a minority stake in 1995.

In the middle of November, it becomes known that TA-Media is negotiating with Swisscom about a share in Blue Window. Bluewin has already built up an attractive portal as an Internet service provider, is the market leader in Switzerland and has a strong management and employees with a great deal of know-how. Bluewin is also a strategically interesting partner for the Winner Group, with which TA-Media creates attractive marketplaces in the online classified ads business in the areas of jobs, cars, real estate, partnerships and auctioning in the following months. The websites ofthe TA-Media publications continue to be managed independently by TA-Media Online.

At the end of November, the Tamedia management decidesto fully include the employees in shipping in the overall employment contract (GAV) in connection with the new forwarding company Druckzentrum Bubenberg. With this measure, TA-Media wants to achieve equal treatment of all people working in the printing center and comply with a demand of the plant committee.

The Emil-Frey Group, one of the most important clients in the vehicle industry, returns as an advertiser to the Tages-Anzeiger, which it had boycotted for 20 years.

The Tages-Anzeiger can point to several innovations in addition to introduction of the new German spelling convention. These include a weekly media page, daily media reviews, the "Akonto" section every Friday and the supplement fahrzeugtipp every Saturday.

Ruedi Helfer succeeds Angelika and Otmar Bucher-Waldis as the new editor-in-chief of the high school student newspaper Spick. The couple, which founded Spick in 1982, retires at the end of the year.