The onslaught to buy up Slovak media could be continuing with rumours on how an investor is now hoping to get its hands on the top publisher in the country, Ringier Axel Springer, which among other things publishes the biggest tabloid and top selling newspaper in the country, Novy Cas, writes daily Hospoodarske Noviny.
In addition to the top seller, the publisher, which generates around EUR 30 million in revenues a year, also publishes various magazines, like Eva, Zivot, Novy Cas pre zeny, Nový Čas Nedeľa and more. It is also the proud owner of the online classified ads site Azet, which gets around 3 million visitors a month.
The publisher is currently co-owned by Swiss and German owners, with the publishing house denying that it is to be sold. Last year, the Czech sister of Ringier Axel Springer CZ was acquired by billionaire businessmen Daniel Křetínský a Patrik Tkáč, who paid a handsome EUR 170 million for it, renaming it to Czech News Center.
Kretinsky is one of the partners in the company EPH which managed to get its hands on Slovak gas transmission system operator Eustream. His partner in the holding is financial group J&T. There were speculations that financial giant J&T wanted the Slovak publisher, but they have denied the rumours.
Benta owning half the press and G&T eyeing the rest….. Mmmmm sounds like all the best parts of a single party state with a garnish of capitalist mates helping out to ensure the bandits stay in power and nobody knows what dodgy deals they all conjure up. Still they can all jet off to Belize if and when the sheep ever wake up!