So far no return to growth expected before 2011 or 2012

It is all smiles that Rolf Heinz receives on the sixth floor of 6, rue Daru in Paris, the headquarters for a few months, the Group Prisma press. In his gleaming Office, the Chairman of the group for four months speaks officially for the first time since his arrival. Step necessarily to announce good news... Because the results of Prisma, which edits including "Woman current", "TV recreation", "Geo" or "Capital" were bad last year, after several years of decay: dissemination of magazines, just as their advertising sales, decreased "in line with the market for the magazines", or-7,5 for the broadcast and -18 for advertising. Net sales for 2009 will be published with the German parent company Gruner Jahr (G J), but internal sources suggest a decline from 5 to 10 (EUR 579 million in 2008). Net a, his result was divided by two, to approximately EUR 18 million.

"Our challenge is to find a new model of profitable growth," said Rolf Heinz. So far, no return to growth expected before 2011 or 2012. This year will be still placed under the sign of austerity. "We are building on the turnover of operating income and stability," he says. "We have to further reduce costs, and especially to reinvent our Organization." In practice, some editors sharing project, named "Editors 2010", should enter into force as soon as the second half, with the move of the Group at Gennevilliers. Today already, is a one and the same team which carries out TV programs for different newspapers of television of the Group: the system should be extended to other editors.

"We particularly create an internal Web Agency, which would produce content for sites of magazines TV, the people and the female." Similarly a sectoral expert in a magazine may be required to write to another title. "It is to develop synergies", he said.

The end of the autonomy

The objective is to achieve savings, Rolf Heinz does not new plans of voluntary departures. "But we also have a strong desire for development!" he says. This year, many magazines derived from existing marks could be launched. In addition, "Geo" should be relaunched at the end of the year. The Group also works to launch a new magazine, completely original, for 2011.

Rolf Heinz will succeed to remobilise Prisma on these projects Approximately 900 employees themselves are not yet entirely delivered for four years under the leadership of Fabrice Boé, it replaced. "Boé has weakened the Group: he failed to avoid the decline in securities leaders as"Here"or"TV recreation", has not launched success magazine and starting of many talents", is a journalist. His replacement was welcomed with relief, but some live poorly the Prisma placing under supervision of the parent: Unlike Fabrice Boé (and before him, to Axel Ganz), Rolf Heinz will not participate in the management of G J. Committee "Is the end of the autonomy of the French subsidiary", said another.

Most importantly, the move to Gennevilliers, scheduled from October, continues to grind teeth. Finally, another sensitive subject, a new plan of voluntary departures were announced in December on "VOD", on 13 positions. "Prisma was all just a plan first leading 45 starts, who himself had succeeded 30 individually negotiated departures", said a trade unionist. Rolf Heinz, which States attach great importance to "the development of the employees", will have, it seems, still work to restore morale to the troops.