| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media |
| Founded | 1948 |
| Headquarters | Oslo, Norway |
| Area served | Norway and Russia |
| Key people | Alf Hildrum (CEO) |
| Employees | 2,635 (2007) |
| Parent | Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions Telenor Fritt Ord |
| Website | www.a-pressen.no |
A-pressen is one of the three largest media companies in Norway (the other two are Schibsted and Edda Media) and was established on May 27, 1948 with the name Norsk Arbeiderpresse (lit: Norwegian Labour Press). It got its present name in 1994. A-pressen is whole or partial owner of 50 local- and regional newspaper with online newspapers and printing presses, local TV channels and local radio channels, including a 50% ownership of TV2 and its own news agency, Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå. The corporation also owns and operates a group of printing plants under the brand name Prime Print in Russia.
The company was originally created to finance the Norwegian labour newspapers owned by the labour unions and Labour Party. In 1990 the company was refinanced and transferred to a corporation with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the Labour Party as the largest owners. When A-pressen bough part of TV2 the Labour Party chose to sell their ownership in the company, and instead the MøllerGruppen, Finnish Sanoma and Telenor bought part of the company and it was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange. In the end Sanoma sold their stocks, the company was delisted and it is now owned by the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (45.2%), Telenor (44.8%) and the Fritt Ord Foundation (10.1%).[1]
The company has had five CEOs, Johan Ona (1948–1974), Einar Olsen (1974–1987), Alf Hildrum (1987–2007), Even Nordstrøm (2007–2010), and Thor Gjermund Eriksen (2010-present).
Chairmen of the board have been Konrad Nordahl (1948–1965),[2] Tor Aspengren (1965–1981),[3] Tor Halvorsen (1981?–1987), Leif Haraldseth (1987–1990, acting from 1987 to 1988), Svein-Erik Oxholm (1990–1997), Jan Balstad (1997–2002), Roar Flåthen (2002–2005), Gerd-Liv Valla (2005–2007), Erik Nord (2007–2010) and Jon Hippe (2010-present).