A curious strategy from German publishing group Axel Springer – the publisher is reportedly blocking access to the website of its tabloid Bild from iPad browsers so that users can only access the title by downloading a paid-for app.

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The two publishing groups will combine their operations in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia and create a new business with headquarters in Switzerland.

Between them Ringier and Axel Springer have 100 print and 70 online publications in these markets, including tabloid newspapers Fakt in Poland and Blesk in the Czech Republic.

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Monocle has detailed insight into the development of Axel Springer’s eMag – a paid-for, multimedia magazine that will be part of the publisher’s Welt am Sonntag division.

“Twelve stories have been enriched with animation, film and audio. Browsing feels as intuitive as turning pages on paper. But you can also watch the New York correspondent visit a party by artist Terence Koh and sit in the passenger’s seat of the new Ferrari 458 Italia as it roars along the Maranello test track. You can dive into elaborate interactive infographics explaining the Copenhagen Climate Conference or listen to the Bee Gees talk about their 50th anniversary,” writes Markus Albers.

Access to the site will cost €1.50. According to Albers, Axel Springer has been one of Germany’s most vocal supporters of online charging.

“[But] Unlike Murdoch it does not plan to charge for the electronic versions of existing papers. Rather it will launch innovative products, hoping to lure customers into downloading them onto computers and smartphones. In addition to today’s eMag there will be iPhone Apps from its tabloids Bild and BZ later in the year – you will also need to pay for these.”

Also of significance is how the project was developed: according to Charles Apples on Visual Editors, e-magazine was developed in-house in less than eight weeks, starting from an idea from art director Jordis Guzman Bulla.

(hat tip – Robb Montgomery)Similar Posts:

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In an interview with Dow Jones, reproduced by the Morning Star, Axel Springer chief executive Mathias Doepfner says customers will be willing to pay for ‘online quality content’ within the next five years.

Significantly, Doepfner adds: “However, our business cases aren’t based on a breakthrough of paid content but will work anyhow.”

The chief exec plans to generate 50 per cent of Axel Springer’s sales from online operations within the next 10 years, according to the report.

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New copyright laws are needed in Europe to stop aggregators using content from news sites for free, Mathias Dopfner, chief executive of Axel Springer, tells the Financial Times.

“Asked if he wanted to see a position where Google was contributing to Axel Springer’s costs if it was going to use its content, he said: ‘Right, yes.’,” writes the FT.

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Names, addresses, phone numbers and account details of classified advertisers with German publisher Axel Springer were leaked onto the internet.

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Europe’s biggest newspaper publisher Axel Springer has announced plans to expand its internet and foreign prospects to recover from its loss-making move into the German mail-delivery business.

Last year the publisher bought up titles outside of Germany to lessen its dependence on the country’s economy and newspaper industry.

Acquisitions online in 2007 included women’s web portal producer AuFeminin.com SA, financial news site Wallstreet:Online and local news site Hamburg.de.Similar Posts:

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