Polish Regional Dailies

Question 1

Orkla was founded where and when?

Answer 1

Norway in 1654

Question 2

Date of first issue of Dziennik Dolnoslaski

Answer 2

31 August 1990

Question 3

First color daily in Poland (also Orkla’s only founded title)

Answer 3

Dziennik Dolnoslaski

Question 4

2nd Editor-in-Chief of Orkla (Christian political activist)

Answer 4

Ryszard Czarnecki

Question 5

Orkla’s first investment was in which title?

Answer 5

Słowo Polskie

Question 6

Orkla press sold to Mecom in 2006 for how much?

Answer 6

€949M (€138M of which was loaned by Orkla themselves to Mecom)

Question 7

Years of Orkla’s press operations in Poland

Answer 7

1990-2006

Question 8

Years of Mecom’s press operations in Poland

Answer 8

2006-2011/13

Question 9

Under Mecom, Orkla’s assets were 2 segments called…?

Answer 9

“Media Regionalne” & “Presspublica”

Question 10

The founder of Mecom and country of origin

Answer 10

David Montgomery, U.K.

Question 11

In 2011, who purchased Mecom’s shares of Presspublica, becoming a 100% shareholder?

Answer 11

Grzegorz Hajdarowicz (Gremi Media)

Question 12

In June 2014, Mecom sells out entirely to whom and for how much?

Answer 12

To Belgian De Persgoep for £196M

Question 13

What are some business characteristics of the Orkla corporation?

Answer 13

Weak interest of HQ
Multi-brand company
Long history in industry, but short in press
Strong centralization of decisions
Bonds with Solidarność
Tradition of trade unions guaranteed
Little interest in sublocal media expansion

Question 14

What are some business characteristics of the Mecom corporation?

Answer 14

Short term speculations (Germany, Presspublica), no sentiments, no further history
Media-focused firm
Short history
Tradition of trade unions guaranteed
Little interest in sublocal expansion

Question 15

Passauer Neue Presse was founded when, where, and by whom?

Answer 15

1946 in Bavaria by Hans Kapfinger

Question 16

2nd CEO of Passauer

Answer 16

Franz Xaver Hirtreiter

Question 17

In what year and under what name did Passauer enter Lower Silesia?

Answer 17

1993 under the guise of Swiss company, Interpublication

Question 18

What was the height of success for Passauer?

Answer 18

In 1997, they had 5,500 employees and €500M in revenue.

Question 19

What are some characteristics of Passauer’s activity in Poland?

Answer 19

Family-running business
Long history and press traditions
Major interest from the HQ
Less centralized decision-making
Reluctant toward trade unions
Interest in sublocal media expansion
No political affiliation
Sentimental attitude toward business
Small chance to leave Poland, able to take over the competition
Predilection for future monopoly

Question 20

What was Interpublication/Passauer’s first investment in Lower Silesia?

Answer 20

(Dec 1993) Bought 50% of “Gazeta Robotnicza” (the future “Gazeta Wroclawska”)

Question 21

Who was known as “Le Papivore”?

Answer 21

French Nazi collaborator, Robert Hersant

Question 22

What was Robert Hersant’s role in Polish media?

Answer 22

From 1991-93 he bought 8 regional titles across Poland through different companies. In 1994, he sold these 8 titles to Passauer.

Question 23

How many Polish titles did Passauer own by the late-90’s?

Answer 23

12

Question 24

What is a logical way in which some newspapers were merged?

Answer 24

Evening newspapers were liquidated within the same city or region to maintain readers while keeping costs down.

Question 25

What was an illogical way in which some newspapers were merged?

Answer 25

Seemingly unrelated or popular papers with distinct followings were merged at random, eliminating competition and paving the way for a political monopoly.

Question 26

Who created Verlagsgruppe Passau and when?

Answer 26

Founded in 2000 by Axel Diekmann

Question 27

How did Polska Press Grupa become a monopoly?

Answer 27

In Oct 2013, when Mecom sold “Media Regionalne” to Verlagsgruppe Passau for 8M złoty.

Question 28

How many Polish titles did PPG own in 2017?

Answer 28

24

Question 29

What is the biggest regional daily in Poland?

Answer 29

Dziennik Zachodni (Upper Silesia)

Question 30

What two other press segments did PPG own besides Media Regionalne?

Answer 30

Express Media (since 2014) and Mediatak (2000-2008)

Question 31

What was Vltava-Labe Press?

Answer 31

A company under Passauer with a monopoly in Czech Republic - owned 80% of local/regional newspapers, 72 regional dailies in CZ

Question 32

In 2021, who took over Polska Press Grupa?

Answer 32

Polish oil company and PiS supporter, Orlen

Question 33

What is now owned by Orlen (2021), in terms of press?

Answer 33

2,000 employees, 800 journalists
20 regional dailies across 15 regions (#1 in circulation)
150 local weeklies
Biweekly with 246K print run
4 announcement weeklies
TV guides with 700K circulation
Websites with 17+M users
5 modern printing plants

Question 34

Who created Polska The Times and what made it unique?

Answer 34

It was an attempt to merge several of PPG’s regional dailies into a nationwide title out of Warsaw. It was modern and politically unbiased.

Question 35

What are the pros of foreign company presence in Poland?

Answer 35

Better management and equipment
Press market increase
Liberal attitude, ahead of their time

Question 36

What are the cons of foreign company presence in Poland?

Answer 36

Freedom appointed by the owners/rich people
Daily columns dominated by owners’ interests
Spiritual and material domination