Mediahuis Eyes German Market, Radio Stations

ANTWERP, Belgium — A little less than a year after Mediahuis’ Dutch entity NRC Media acquired all Sublime World activities, the Flemish press group is negotiating the acquisition of the German press group Aachener Verlagsgesellschaft (AVG).

Mediahuis Group is publisher of leading Flemish newspapers and parent of radio stations Nostalgie (Vlaanderen) and NRJ. With an annual turnover of €1 billion, the group has 4,500 staff members in Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and Luxembourg.

Last September, NRC Media took over Sublime World, which operates one FM license with 11 frequencies and also broadcasts on DAB+ via six digital radio channels. In addition, Sublime World runs an audio production company.

At press time, Mediahuis was discussing the takeover of German-based AVG, including sister company Medienhaus Aachen Gruppe, publishers of the Aachener Zeitung and Aachener Nachrichten newspapers. The group employs some 400 staff members and has an annual turnover of approximately €80 million.

In addition to its activities in printed media, the Medienhaus Aachen Gruppe is shareholder of two local radio stations broadcasting to the Euregio (Belgium, Netherlands, Germany) area. Antenne AC, serves the Aachen region from nearby Würselen, Germany. The Belgian/German-owned 100.5 Das Hitradio, with studios in Eupen (East Belgium) reaches the German speaking part of Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia.

According to Mediahuis CEO Gert Ysebaert, the group aims to become ”a leading European media-enterprise.”