Independent News & Media

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Independent News and Media plc
Type Public, ISE & LSE
Founded Dublin, Ireland (1904)
Headquarters Dublin, Ireland
Key people Sir Anthony O'Reily, CEO, Dr B. Hillary Chairman
Industry Media
Products Newspapers, other media activities.
Revenue EUR 1157.4m (FY 2004)
Employees 10,800 (2004)
Website www.inmplc.com

Independent News & Media plc (INM) is a media organisation based in Dublin, Ireland with interests worldwide. The company owns over 165 print titles.

Contents

[edit] UK and Ireland

The group owns a number of national newspapers in Ireland: the Evening Herald, Irish Independent, Sunday Independent, Sunday World and the Irish Daily Star. The chief executive is Anthony O'Reilly, who was recently knighted by the British monarch. Some INM titles, especially the Sunday Independent and Irish Independent, are perceived to have a pro-British slant by republicans.

The group owns a 29.9% stake in the Sunday Tribune.

In the UK the company publishes The Independent and the Independent on Sunday. The company also owns the Belfast Telegraph group which publishes the Belfast Telegraph, Ireland's Saturday Night, Sunday Life and Ads for Free.

During 2007, INM will open a new full-colour Goss printing press facility in Newry, Northern Ireland near the border with the Republic. [1]

[edit] South Africa

The group is the largest newspaper publisher in South Africa, owning 14 newspapers including The Star and Pretoria News in Gauteng, the Daily Voice, Cape Times, Cape Argus and Weekend Argus in Cape Town, the Mercury, Post, Isolezwe, Daily Tribune, Sunday Tribune and Independent on Saturday in Durban, as well as the national Sunday Independent and 13 community newspapers in Cape Town. The group's titles account for 48% of the total advertising spend in paid newspapers[1], 31% of all newspapers sold in the country, and 58% of the English language market.

[edit] Australia and New Zealand

The company owns a 40.3% stake in APN News and Media Limited, a large newspaper publisher in Australia and New Zealand owns the New Zealand Herald, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. On 12 February 2007, INM announced that the board of APN had recommended an all-cash revised offer of A$ 6.10 per share for the entire issued share capital of APN.[2]

INM also holds stakes in the Unison ISP and the iTouch electronic payments and premium rate telecoms operator.

[edit] India

INM has also entered into the Indian market as of late. It entered into it through the purchase of 20% of Dainik Jagran the publishing company behind India's best-selling paper. This market has been identified by INM as being a key element of its move into non-English speaking media markets with huge growth opportunities and potential for advancement. Since the initial investment INM has deepened its involvement by buying 20% of the radio business of Dainik Jagran. The intention is to establish 8 radio stations in the so-called 'Hindi Belt'.

[edit] Cable

The company formerly held a 50% stake in Chorus Communications, the second largest cable television and MMDS operator in Ireland, having acquired this with a merger between Cable Management Ireland, and their own Irish Multichannel . However this was sold in 2004.

[edit] History

The company was formed as Independent Newspapers Limited in 1904 by William Martin Murphy, as the publisher of the Irish Independent. In 1973 Sir Anthony O'Reilly (then known as Tony O'Reilly) acquired 100% of the share capital of the company. The company was later floated on the Irish Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange. The group expanded overseas, acquiring interests in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. In 1999, the company name was changed to Independent News and Media plc.

Update APN has made a bid for total control of the company. O'Reilly wants to take the company private.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Independent News & Media PLC (2006-09-30). Interim Report 2006 (pdf). Retrieved on 2007-03-03.
  2. ^ Independent News & Media PLC (2007-02-12). APN BOARD RECOMMENDS OFFER OF A$6.10 PER SHARE BY INM LED GROUP (pdf). Retrieved on 2007-03-03.