The Tinus Trust

US newspapers: Look to Europe !

The Nieman Journalism Lab, - a project of the Nieman Foundation at Harvard, recently published a three part article on innovations in the newspaper industry, advicing US newspapers to look to Europe ; " In European innovation, Americans can see models worth learning from and adapting."


In the first part, Ken Doctor - focused on how the Finnish Sanoma group had succeeded in getting print readers to pay for online access. In the story, Ken Doctor outlines how Helsingin Sanomat has succeeded in convincing 130 000 print subscribers to pay an additional € 36 annually to get access to the online packages.

Read the first part here 

In the second part, Ken Doctor focuses on Schibsted - describing how Schibsted has succeeded in the transition from being a Norwegian newspaper publisher to becoming an International Media Group, - now present in around 30 countries worldwide. The writer looks at the online classifieds expansion into new markets, - and how this expansion has become a major part of the new digital revenue streams. In addition he also describes Schibsted venture into new niches - looking for new revenue streams to replace the old vanishing streams as media usage goes digital.

 

Read the second part about Schibsted here:

 

In the third and final part, the Nieman Lab article focuses on how  the small Swiss newspaper publisher Gossweiler Media AG is serving the local community by utilising multiple platforms, - a micro-newspaper in print twice a week, continuously updating the online editions, adding videoservices and a set of robust mobile apps. The Jungfrau Zeitung has also established franchises, - as other publishers  will receive packages of services, ranging from marketing to its self-built technology platform, enabling new micro-newspapers to be produced....

 

Read the third part about Gossweiler here

CHANGES IN BLOMMENHOLM INDUSTRIER

Changes in Blommenholm Industrier were made at the company’s annual general meeting on 22 December, with a view to strengthening the Tinius Trust.

Blommenholm Industrier AS, the company’s largest shareholder, owns 28,188,589 shares, representing 26.1% of the shares in Schibsted ASA. Blommenholm Industrier AS is represented on the board of Schibsted ASA by Board Chair Ole Jacob Sunde. Blommenholm Industrier AS initially had two share classes: Class A and Class B shares. The Class B shares, which are non-voting shares, are owned by four companies controlled by Tinius Nagell-Erichsen’s heirs.

 

The Class A shares are owned by the Tinius Trust. The Tinius Trust therefore has a controlling interest in Blommenholm Industrier AS. The objective for establishing Blommenholm Industrier AS and the Tinius Trust was to secure ownership of Schibsted ASA in order to ensure that Schibsted ASA maintained free and independent editorial control and also to ensure that the group's publications endeavored to deliver quality and credibility and to defend values such as freedom of faith, tolerance, human rights and democracy. Likewise, the Trust should aim to achieve long-term and sound financial growth of the group and a stable, Norwegian ownership.

 

The Class B shareholders, who until now have owned 99.9% of the total shares in Blommenholm Industrier AS, have wanted to reinforce these objectives. By virtue of the decision made by the annual general meeting on 22 December 2011, 80% of the Class B shares were converted to Class C shares with weak dividend entitlement. The Class C shares give entitlement to 10% of the company’s dividends. Later the same day, ¾ of the Class C shares, representing 60% of the total number of shares in Blommenholm Industrier AS, were sold to the Tinius Trust. The selling parties were Beltenut AS, Faros Forvaltning AS and Odden Forvaltning AS. Albe Forvaltning AS chose not to sell its Class C shares but has acquired an option to sell them to the Trust.

 

Since Blommenholm Industrier AS was established in 1992 and the Tinius Trust in 1996, taxation of long-term owners has become more stringent through a tightening of regulations. This has threatened Blommenholm Industrier AS’s ability to achieve its objectives. This transaction will help redress this situation. The transaction will also strengthen the Trust’s ability to further develop its role, defend the principles on which the Trust is founded, and secure long-term ownership of Schibsted.

 

After the transaction, Blommenholm Industrier AS will still own 28,188,589 shares, representing 26.1% of the shares in Schibsted ASA.

 

Published 06.01.12
Freedom of expression under attack

Freedom of expression under attack

A court in Ethiopia on Tuesday, Dec 27th 2011, sentenced two Swedish journalists to 11 years in prison on charges of supporting terrorism after the two illegally entered the country with an ethnic Somali rebel group in a case that has been criticized by media-rights groups, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal.

Read more about Freedom of expression under attack

"The world's smartest media company ?"

Colin Morrison, a UK based journalist and blogger, with a long career in the media - and being passionate about journalism and media regurlarly writes about his passions in his blog "Flashes and Flames". He is passionate about the media - and how the traditional media is wrestling with the digital world.

In "Flashes and Flames" he blogs about the media, as well as leadership issues in business and politics, - and primarily covering the UK, US and Australian scenes, - but he occasionally  looks at what is happening elsewhere.

In mid-October his blog was about something happening elsewhere, revealing a secret:  "Is this "secret" business the worlds smartest media company? Changing a market near you soon...... "   

In his blog he focuses on Schibsted, - and the little known (outside the media industry) success of Schibsted - not only as a traditional media company moving into new markets, but as a new major global player in the global online classifeds market.

Schibsted.no awarded best website 2011

Schibsted.no awarded best website 2011

On March 10 Schibsted Media Group won the Farmand Award for Best Website 2011 in Norway, in the category “Companies listed on the stock exchange”.

Read more about Schibsted.no awarded best website 2011

Internet; - a major contributor to the GDP in the UK

In a study commissioned by Google, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) analysis show that the Internet accounts for an annual worth of £ 100 bn to the UK economy, comprising 7,2% of the GDP.

 In the study , BCG estimates that by 2015 - the Internet is expected to contribute 10% of the GDP, making it as important to the economy as the financial sector in the UK.

As seen from Scandinavia, it is interesting to see that the BCG survey puts Britain in sixth place on the "e-intensity-index" - which calculates the reach and depth of the internet in the world's major economies. Interestingly - all the 5 Nordic countries are on the Top 10 list in this index.

You can find the BCG report; " The Connected Kingdom: - How the Internet Is Transforming the U.K. Economy" here.

 

01.11.2010

"The "Tinius trust" is different in the sense that it has power, to the contrary of many other foundations and practices."