Not so Super

The announcement yesterday that Epic Super has ceased publication will elicit plenty of "I told you sos." Ever since the tabloid was launched last April, forecasts of its eminent demise or sale have been rife. Super sold a decent number of copies - if we can believe the figures - but failed to find a place on the advertising market. It was perceived as being too political. It was merciless towards ODS's enemies, which proved to be a risky strategy given the outcome of the elections. But Super wasn't a complete failure. If nothing else, it helped to force a truce between ODS and ČSOB on the explosive issue of IPB. Super and TV Nova were by far the media's biggest critics of the state takeover of the bank and the subsequent sale to ČSOB. Thanks in part to them, though, IPB is no longer a political issue. At least publicly, Super never got any of the credit.