Media company RTL Nederland may fall into Flemish hands. The company has agreed to take over DPG Media, which owns the newspapers AD, Volkskrant and the news website NU.nl. According to RTL news, the Belgians want to pay 1.1 billion euros for the company.
DPG Media, which is also active in the Belgian television world, expects that the exchange of knowledge and skills will bring a lot. It already owns the largest broadcast group here (VTM) and the French-speaking part of RTL. “They face many of the same challenges. Erik Roddenhof, CEO of DPG Media, says that live television viewership is also decreasing in Belgium and broadcast streaming is increasing very rapidly.
DPG Media was already interested in taking over RTL. This did not happen due to RTL being in takeover talks with Talpa. But that purchase was halted by regulator the Consumer and Markets Authority (ACM). The merger of two Dutch television companies would be very powerful.
ACM “follows with interest”
ACM says it is following the plans with interest. The investigation begins once they are notified of the planned takeover. The relevant works councils must also advise on the planned takeover.
According to RTL, if the regulator approves this acquisition, little will change in the coming years. No job or channel will disappear. Previous CEO Sven Sauvé will also remain in office. Since DPG does not operate in the TV advertising market in the Netherlands, the parties do not expect ACM to experience any problems in this area.
“By joining forces, we are creating a more comprehensive media group that continues to fully invest in local, innovative, impactful content and independent journalism,” says Sauvé. “I am also pleased that the RTL name will be retained; “It is a strong brand and popular with many Dutch people.”
Source: NOS
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.
