As part of Edipresse Group's management structure reorganization, Gregory Blatt, Managing Director for Marketing, Communications and Strategy will leave the company at the end of January 2010. Pursuant to this date, Gregory has accepted to maintain several mandates for Edipresse Group, in particular overseeing the commercial and marketing activities of the company’s Spanish subsidiary Focus Ediciones.
Edipresse Group has sold its 33% stake in the Spanish magazine publishing company RBA Edipresse to its joint-venture partner RBA Holding. RBA Holding thus becomes 100% owner of RBA Edipresse. The amount of the sale was not disclosed. The transaction still has to be formally submitted to the Spanish competition authorities for approval. This transaction fits into the overall strategy of the Edipresse Group to disinvest from the Iberian market and the assets it does not control.
The Edipresse company has sold to Mister Jacques Lathion, the Rhône Media group’s main individual shareholder, all of its stake in Rhône Media SA as well as its stake in the Editions Le Nouvelliste SA company. The parties involved have agreed to keep the sale price confidential.
The consultations with staff representatives, which followed Edipresse Switzerland’s announcement on October 9th about the termination of a hundred or so positions, led to an agreement on October 27th. They allowed support measures for terminated staff to be defined, such as severance pay, assistance in professional reintegration, and support funds in serious cases. In accordance with the Management’s commitments, the agreement also satisfies the need for equity between all of the company’s sectors.
In a media market undergoing fast structural changes, Edipresse Suisse must cut its cost level to ensure its future and is planning to shed about hundred jobs. The consultations with the staff representatives will begin next week. Edipresse Suisse also proposes creating a Support Fund for cases of hardship. The deep structural changes in the media are continuing and accelerating due to the economic crisis. In particular, the print media are suffering in 2009 from the swift decrease in advertising revenue.
On 30 September 2009, Edipresse Polska announced the acquisition of Marquard Media’s "Pani Domu", an important publication in the women’s advisory segment as well as two true story monthly publications "Cienie i Blaski" and "Sekrety Serca". In parallel, Edipresse Polska will sell its monthly shopping magazine "Hot Moda i Shopping" to Marquard Media.
Lausanne and Zurich – Following the decision of the competition commission to approve the merger of the Swiss activities of Edipresse (included in PPSR S.A.) with Tamedia, the two media companies will merge their free daily newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland, as well as their online classifieds.
Lausanne and Zurich - The Federal Competition Commission (COMCO) approved the merger between Edipresse’s Swiss activities and Tamedia without conditions. This decision proves the highly competitive nature of the Swiss media landscape. In the past few months, Edipresse and Tamedia submitted a wide variety of market information and internal performance figures to the Competition Commission for review.
Edipresse resists the economic crisis: losses limited to CHF 3.2 million. The implementation of IFRS standards renders any comparison with 2008 extremely difficult. Following the agreement with Tamedia, the results of Swiss activities cannot be completely integrated in the consolidated accounts and must be treated as “discontinued operations”.
Despite difficult economic conditions, reader and Internet user loyalty has been confirmed and is even strongly increasing online. Le Matin remains the undeniable media brand in French-speaking Switzerland. Le Matin stays the first paid-for daily with 246'000 readers.
Edipresse Switzerland
33, avenue de la Gare
CH - 1001 Lausanne
Phone +41 (0)21 349 45 00
Fax +41 (0)21 349 42 22
Sylvia Wuersten
Press & Public relations
Edipresse Group
33, avenue de la Gare
CH - 1001 Lausanne
Phone +41 (0)21 349 45 45
Fax +41 (0)21 349 45 40
