Comments on: Wegener naar De Persgroep: alles beter dan Mecom

By: Piet Bakker

Piet Bakker — Tue, 01 Jul 2014 05:54:19 +0000

@Paul
Bij Wegener wel verschillende titels maar in feite één krant – het hele niet-regiodeel komt van De Persdienst (o.l.v. oud vk-adjunct Jan ’t Hart). MGL zou meteen doorverkocht moeten worden, althans, Van Thille heeft gezegd dat De Persgroep mee wil werken aan die verkoop. Dat is niet precies hetzelfde als een toezegging. Misschien wil Van Thillo zijn concurrenten van het Mediahuis (Concentra) niet al te snel van dienst zijn.

@Aske
De Persdienst is not too keen on publishing papers in a language they can’t read. They always concern themselves with the content, which would be difficult. And a sale would result in lowering the price – they did the same in in the Netherlands in 2009 whne they bought PCM and sold one of the papers, NRC, after that.

By: Aske Kammer

Aske Kammer — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 20:06:53 +0000

The perspective of De Persgroep selling Belingske Media has not really been brought up yet here in Denmark, where most people are just pleased that the old publishing house will soon be owned by someone with a publicist mindset rather than by Mecom. The general assessment seems to be that being owned by DP is good for BM who will now have better conditions for upholding high journalistic standards – but that DP would sell BM is not on the Danish agenda.
However, there has been reports that DP only bought BM because they had to acquire the whole package, so to speak, in order to get Wegener. If that is true (and I see no reason it should not be), a sale in the near future is certainly a likely way forward.

By: Paul Disco

Paul Disco — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:22:26 +0000

Denk dat het echte klusje voor Van Thillo een managementdingetje gaat worden. PCM werd in fases directief ingelijfd, dat is wat anders met zoveel verschillende titels van Wegener en MGL. Het wordt nu heel veel bordjes draaiend houden, niet onmogelijk, wel een aandachtspuntje.

By: Piet Bakker

Piet Bakker — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 17:20:19 +0000

Hi Aske,

Thank for commenting. In the Netherlands the general feelings is that De Persgroep will sell the Danish properties as they are not too happy with pubishing papers they can’t read. What’s the opinion in Denmark on this issue?

By: Aske Kammer

Aske Kammer — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 16:02:20 +0000

One minor correction:
De Persgroep did not only buy two newspapers in Denmark – they bought Berlingske Media, which is one of the two dominant newspaper publishing houses (the other one is JP/Politikens Hus) and publishes numerous different newspapers. The most important ones are broadsheet Berlingske and tabloid B.T. (both are among the most read newspapers in Denmark), and in addition to these two newspapers Berlingske Media also publishes Weekendavisen (weekly elitist), Kids’ News (weekly for children), and 24 local or regional papers as well as a long line of digital services.