The Rescue of De Standaard an Act of Calculated Folly
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ME MO RY 1976 77 78 yesterday 1976 De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad are rescued. A new newspaper group is born. today 2006 VUMmedia is active in virtually all media: newspapers, e-media, magazines, freesheets, radio, television, telecoms. The future beckons. Today. You browse. Read. Watch. Listen. Surf. Phone. You remember. Or you forget. VUMmedia in 2006 8 Results 118 VUMmedia in 2005 120 Activities 12 Consolidated balance sheet 122 Het Nieuwsblad/Het Volk 14 Income statement 123 De Standaard 16 Consolidated companies 124 Les Editions de l’Avenir 18 Jobat 20 Organisation 126 VUM E-media 22 Group structure 127 VUM regie 24 Printing Division 26 Management 128 Passe-Partout 28 Board of Directors and Sydes 30 Executive Committee 129 Nostalgie 32 VUM Management Caviar 34 Committee 130 Woestijnvis 36 Sydes Management Committee 132 Memory 38 Editions de l’Avenir From 1976 to 2006 40 Management Committee 134 The rescue of Passe-Partout Management De Standaard 44 Committee 136 Newspapers and society 58 Printing Division 68 Adresses 138 New media 78 The takeover of Het Volk 88 The arrival of Mediabel 98 Passe-Partout 108 Innovation 116 79 80 81 82 VUM MEDIA IN 2006 today In 2005, VUMmedia reaped the benefits of the growth and investment policy pursued in past years. This was especially true of the Printing Division, which posted a record result. But the group’s other units also performed well. All in all, VUMmedia was able to report solid sales growth and matched the record operating result achieved in 2004. ith growth of theless managed to increase ing facilities for Les Editions de 2.2% last year, its market share. With sales of l’Avenir and De Standaard. WDe Standaard was nearly 100,000 copies per day, 2005 also saw a breakthrough not only the fastest climber in Vers l’Avenir – along with its sis- in news consumption via the the Belgian newspaper market, ter titles – is an important play- Internet in general, and via the but also the only grower in the er in the Walloon newspaper websites of VUMmedia in par- Dutch-speaking newspaper market. The editorial staff will ticular. Having had a presence market. As well as a new layout, shortly move into brand new on the Internet for ten years now, the paper also launched a totally and highly functional premises De Standaard paved the way for revamped and extended Busi- in Namur. The purchase of the the impressive growth achieved ness & Finance section, accom- new building represented an by VUMmedia in this medium. panied by the new Standaard.biz investment of 9 million euro. Het Nieuwsblad Online took a website. The editors of the trade jour- big leap forwards in 2005. With In the segment of popular nal ‘Grafisch Weekblad’ have over two million unique visitors Dutch-speaking newspapers, all recognized the Printing Division per month, VUMmedia is by far titles recorded some reduction of VUMmedia as Belgium’s big- the biggest on-line publisher in of sales. Het Nieuwsblad, which gest printing group. The heatset, Flanders and Belgium. successfully launched a smaller coldset and sheet-fed printing Advertising revenues showed format in October, maintained works all achieved excellent re- a further increase in 2005 com- the best position in this market. sults. The production of Centre pared with 2004. The loss of Together, Het Volk and Het d’Impression Rhisnes (CIR), the revenues due to the fact that gen- Nieuwsblad form the largest sister printing works in Namur, eral shareholders meetings need newspaper grouping in the will gradually be transferred to no longer be announced in the country, selling 286,981 copies Groot-Bijgaarden in the next press as well as the changeover every day. few years. This move involves an to a modular system in national In a period when newspapers investment of 30 million euro display advertising was offset by found the going more difficult, in three new printing presses, further growth in Jobat revenues Les Editions de l’Avenir never- with new and extended print- and regional advertising. In the 9 VUMmedia seeks to bring products to the market that stand out for their quality: to publish the best newspapers, produce the finest printed matter and make the best radio and television. advertising markets too, the has been substantial. VUMme- Radio Nostalgie has proved a real Internet continued to make an dia’s regional freesheet business success story, doubling its audi- impact, with the ‘Multichannel’ increased its readership for the ence over the last five years. The concept of Jobat and Spotter second year running, by no less latest survey results from CIM tell among the most important than 23%. This was also trans- the same story. developments. By turning the lated into solid sales growth and Sydes, the private equity com- classifieds into a multimedia a rising market share, in both pany of VUMmedia, ended the project, VUMmedia has been the local and national advertis- year on a successful note after ob- able to extend its market leader- ing markets. taining approval for the Arkafund ship in the printed media to The audiovisual activities of investment fund, launched in the on-line arena as well. VUMmedia can also look back partnership with Dexia and the The launch of Spotter.be on a very interesting year. Since ARKimedes fund. ARKimedes was a first on three counts: it the premiere of the film ‘Den- is an initiative of the Flemish was the first time that the nis van Rita’, the production government, aimed at providing group’s Dutch-speaking and company Caviar – created from growth capital for Flemish SMEs. French-speaking newspapers the merger of Pix & Motion had joined forces to establish a and Roses are Blue – has been 2006 sees an important anniver- national classified ads website; the talk of the Flemish film sary: on 28 June 2006, VUMme- never before had a country-wide industry. dia will have existed for 30 years. bilingual classified ads brand For Woestijnvis, the transfer of In this annual report we take a been launched in print and on- football rights to Belgacom and closer look at how the group has line at the same time; and the the public-service broadcaster developed over the last 30 years, third new feature of the project posed a major opportunity. based on several interviews. The was the cooperation between The production company was story of VUMmedia is articulated the group’s newspapers and given responsibility for the TV around three central themes Passe-Partout freesheets. The production of football matches which remain at the core of the contribution of Passe-Partout as in Belgium’s top division. company to this day. Belgium’s largest press medium In the world of Belgian radio, 10 From left to right: Marc Appel, Bruno de Cartier, Thomas Leysen, Jo Van Croonenborch. • The social role of our news- papers in the community. Rigorous and responsible journalism coupled with edito- rial independence remain our most cherished values. Our papers continue to invest in high-quality content and make an important contribution to public debate. • A passion for innovation. Numerous innovations, for the benefit of readers and adver- a multimedia news business. Thomas Leysen tisers alike, have allowed the VUMmedia plans to continue Chairman VUMmedia group to stand out in a mature building on these themes in the Jo Van Croonenborch advertising market. By consis- years ahead. VUMmedia seeks CEO VUM tently developing our technol- to continue bringing products Bruno de Cartier ogy, we have provided the best to the market that stand out for CEO Mediabel possible support for our titles their quality: to publish the best Marc Appel and products – from pre-press newspapers, produce the finest CEO Sydes systems, through printing printed matter and make the works, to the Internet. best radio and television. Our • The desire to explore new stable and long-term oriented frontiers. Through a com- shareholder base is a major asset bination of growth, mergers, in this respect. acquisitions and investments, the group has evolved from a pure newspaper publisher into 11 VUM MEDIA IN 2006 AC TIVI TIES HET NIEUWSBLAD HET VOLK today NEWSPAPERS ‘Half the size, twice as handy.’ Het Nieuwsblad and Het Volk aim the Sunday paper was launched in That is how Het Nieuwsblad, to be the first with the news, but autumn 2003, Het Nieuwsblad has Het Volk and De Gentenaar pure facts and background infor- been the only Flemish newspaper described the switch to tabloid mation are not enough on their to appear seven days a week. But format on 3rd October last year. own. Research shows that readers even while the presses roll, news also want to be entertained. keeps flooding in and debate con- The format change was largely Besides the news sections (with tinues. Over a million unique visi- in response to reader demand. quick-off-the-mark reporting of tors per month view the websites Readers had already got to know domestic and international news, of Het Nieuwsblad, De Gentenaar and like the tabloid sized Plaza business news and regional report- and Het Volk to keep track of the supplement and Het Nieuwsblad ing) and Sportwereld, the daily Life latest news. op Zondag. Extensive research and section is a vital part of the news- In a little over two years, interest a large scale survey showed that paper. This daily ‘newzine’ focuses in the websites of the popular readers welcome the smaller for- on entertainment, relationships, newspapers has grown spec- mat with open arms. And so in the health, television and culture. tacularly. In 2004, 12,000 unique autumn we bowed to their wishes.