Roger Elsener - the media man who has come home

The Christmas atmosphere could hardly be more opulent than in the Globus Zurich-Bellevue. The Bistro/Café Tatar is tucked away on the first floor between Christmas baubles, luxury perfumes and fake Christmas trees. Friendly staff, selected appetizers and assorted cakes in an all-gold ambience.
Roger Elsener arrives there at the agreed time for our interview. The decor in the restaurant would be ideal for the entrance of a Sun King. But that’s not Roger Elsener: He looks down-to-earth, his laughter is genuine, his attitude authentic. He rushes from one appointment to another, so the selection of this location was a practical, an ideal choice between business appointments. Nevertheless, the image of a king fits in somehow, because Roger Elsener has been one in the media world for a few months now.

He puts down his backpack, sets his smartphone to ‘silence’, and then looks around with interest. "I've never been here before," he says, ordering a cappuccino. Should it be an extra strong one, the waiter asks. Roger Elsener says no. The question is appropriate when you know what the native Edlibacher is currently going through. 15-hour days, ten Christmas dinners, media inquiries and lots of employee appraisals. Nevertheless, Roger Elsener looks unbelievably fresh.

Elsener does not have an easy job: he manages the largest private radio station group and, following the takeover of the 3+ station group in October, also the largest private TV station group in Switzerland, and he will also integrate the group-owned broadcaster TeleZüri, Radio 24 and the national TV and radio channel. The Leonardo project, which will write media history in Zurich Oerlikon from 2021, is gigantic.

The man, who left Menzingen to go out into the world and shook up the TV business before returning there, is bursting with zest for action, ideas, and obviously knows how to put it into practice. Not a Sun King, but someone who likes to get things done. Among other things, Roger Elsener received this "hard-work mentality" from his father. The mother died early, and the two boys Roger and Christian lived with the father in Edlibach. Work was always done at home, even more so after the loss of the mother. His parents shaped Elsener with their values.

When Roger Elsener talks about Zugerland, about his father and his parents, you can feel that he is no a pure “numbers man” behind the studied media economist exterior, but someone who is highly emotional. "Television is, after all, also very emotional," explains Elsener, vwatching the rotating golden garlands as if lost in thought.

Roger Elsener, Director of the TV / Radio division of CH Media, is deeply rooted in Zug.
 

Roger Elsener speaks about the Zug Kanti (cantonal school), and how he left Edlibach for a very different environment as a 13-year-old; that was already crazy for him at the time, being down in Zug, where suddenly it was no longer Zug German that was spoken. The 41-year-old has polished up his dialect now, but it can still be heard. Maybe simply because Roger Elsener has returned home.
This Helvetian down-to-earthness, with the values ​​conveyed and lived out by the father, was usually an advantage in his career, but not always. "In Berlin, for example, everyone in the media business sounds big at first," says Roger Elsener, referring to his time as head of Viacom International Networks, which also included MTV / Viva. He found this a little intimidating at first in Berlin.

"It took a while for me to realize that they also cook with water."

Roger Elsener knows how difficult the situation in the media is. Advertising can be skipped on the TV, Teleshopping is on during the day, and the days in which the family gathered in front of the TV for a big Saturday evening entertainment show are long gone. Netflix has established itself in the local set-top boxes, while the kids watch make-up tutorials on Youtube. It seems as though nobody watches live TV anymore. The numbers speak a different language, however: 3+, for example, is on the road to success with formats such as "The Bachelor" or "Farmer, single, seeking ...", while other TV stations belonging to the group are catching up with shows such as "Die Höhle der Löwen Schweiz (The Swiss Lions’ Cave)" or "Ninja Warrior Switzerland”.

Bio:
Roger Elsener (41) is Managing Director of the TV and Radio division of CH Media, which took over the 3+ channel group in October. Born in Edlibach, he is currently responsible for 7 radio stations, 12 TV stations and around 450 employees. He completed a Masters’ degree in Media and Communication Science at the University of Zurich in 2003, and has been working in the TV industry for 13 years.