Westfälische Medien Holding AG is to become part of the Rheinische Post media group. As the two companies announced, they have agreed that the Rheinische Post media group will take over all Shares takes over. It was agreed not to disclose further details of the transaction. The purchase is therefore still subject to approval by the Federal Cartel Office.
The takeover will make the Rheinische Post Mediengruppe the largest-circulation daily newspaper publishing group in the country North Rhine-Westphalia. The company said it will also significantly expand its market position in the regional media business. Especially in digital, the new, larger network offers additional growth potential for all Westfälische Medien Holding titles.
Regional quality journalism should remain
The company is committed to the potential of regional quality journalismsaid the chairman of the management, Johannes Werle. He assured that all new titles and offerings will retain their strong local roots even after the change.
Westfälische Medien Holding AG includes: Westphalian Newsthe Münster newspaperthe Westphalia sheetthe Westphalian Volksblatt as well as the General newspaper Coesfeld. From the perspective of the publishers and previous managing partners Benedikt and Eduard Hüffer, the group’s medium-sized structure no longer allows further growth of the local and regional newspapers without great risk. “It was not easy for us to separate from the traditional newspaper business,” they said.
Media minister criticizes takeover as setback for newspaper location
North Rhine-Westphalia’s media minister Nathanael Liminski (CDU) criticized the takeover and called it after the takeover the Cologne Rundschau by DuMont as a second setback for North Rhine-Westphalia as a newspaper location within a few weeks. Changes like these are always associated with great uncertainty for the publishers’ employees, sometimes with job cuts – and not just in the editorial offices, said Liminski.
He further criticized the loss of media diversity and diversity of perspectives in local reporting. That’s why he’s continuing to advocate for one at the federal government Reduction of VAT on print and digital subscriptions from the current seven to zero percent.
According to its own information, the Rheinische Post Mediengruppe is one of the regional newspaper publishers with the highest circulation in Germany, currently employing around 2,800 people. She gives that Rhenish Post with a circulation of 183,000 copies sold as well as the Bonner General-Anzeiger with a circulation of around 55,000.