Bertelsmann

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Bertelsmann logo.png Bertelsmann AG is a transnational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs over 75,000 workers. In 2004 the revenues were € 17 billion.

1 Businesses
2 History
3 See also
4 External links

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Businesses

Bertelsmann consists of 6 corporate divisions:

RTL Group, a European broadcaster
Gruner & Jahr (officially Gruner + Jahr, a magazine publisher (biggest in Europe and second biggest world wide)
Prisma
BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group)
BMG Music Publishing
Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher (popular literature)
Direct Group, the world's largest book and music club group
arvato, an international media service provider and editing house

In August 2004, BMG and Sony entered a 50-50 joint venture, reducing the Big Five of music companies to the Big Four. BMG Music Publishing, the world's third largest music publisher, stayed wholly-owned by Bertelsmann and became the world's largest independent music publisher. As of 2005, Sony BMG's share of the music market stands at 21.5%.

Bertelsmann made headlines on May 17, 2002, when it announced it would acquire the assets of Napster for $8 million.

Bertelsmann also has close links with [[Springer Science+Business Media]], which was created from its majority purchase of Springer-Verlag in 1999 and then a merger with Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2003.

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History

The C. Bertelsmann Verlag was founded as a print shop cum publishing house in July, 1835 by Carl Bertelsmann. At first Bertelsmann concentrated on Christian songs and books. In 1851 led by Carl Bertelsmann's son, Heinrich, the publishing programme was extended into the area of novels. During the following years Bertelsmann expanded steadily. By 1939 the publishing house employed 400 people.

After World War II, in which the publishing house was closed for some time, but nevertheless published books by Nazi authors like Will Vesper (who did the commemorative speech at the 1933 book burning) or Hans Grimm, the company was re-founded by Reinhard Mohn, fifth generation of the Bertelsmann family. In the 1950s, Bertelsmann expanded with the Bertelsmann Leserring (readers ring) and the founding of the LP label Ariola Records in 1958, which marks the entry in the music market. In 1964 Bertelsmann bought the Ufa Filmproduktionsgesellschaft as entry in the movie market. Ufa was sold in the 1970s. In 1969, Bertelsmann bought into the Gruner und Jahr publishing house (newspapers, magazines), in 1973 becoming majority owner.

Since the 1980s, Bertelsmann has expanded internationally: in 1979 it bought the American Arista Records label, in 1980 Bantam Books, in 1986 the label RCA Victor and the publishing house Doubleday. It has distributed Windham Hill Records since 1989. In 1992 it acquired 50% of Windham Hill Records and in 1996 it took full control.

During this period the activities in the music market were bundled into the label BMG.

In 1993, Reinhard Mohn as owner of Bertelsmann moved 68.8% of his Bertelsmann AG stock over to the Bertelsmann Foundation. As of 2006, the Mohn family still owns 74.9 of Bertelsman's capital, in addition of the Bertelsmann foundation.

From 1995 to 2000 Bertelsmann had a major Internet Service Provider (and associated content) joint venture with AOL that operated throughout Europe.

In 1995 the Ufa Film- und Fernseh-GmbH merged with CLT, Luxembourg. The result was known as RTL Group, the biggest private radio and TV broadcaster in Europe.

In 1998 Thomas Middelhoff become CEO of Bertelsmann. He bought the Random House publishing house and concentrated book publishing in the USA under this label.

In February 2001, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert purchased 25% of Bertelsmann AG. André Desmarais, President and Chief Executive Officer, Power Corporation of Canada, was named to the Board. In July 2002, the president Thomas Middelhoff goes away, because of disagreements concerning the company's strategy, in particular relating to its introduction in the Deutsche Börse.

2003, the new CEO Gunter Thielen expanded the music branch BMG with the buying of Zomba Records.

In 2004, BMG set up a joint-venture with Sony Music to create Sony BMG. BMG Music Publishing remained wholly-owned by Bertelsmann.

Also in 2004, the London Borough of Camden, England brought anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) against Sony Music UK and BMG for alleged fly posting. Illegal fly posting by the two companies is thought to save them £8 million a year in advertising costs in Camden and cost the Borough £250,000 to clean up. Falling to comply with an ASBO can result in a jail sentence of up to 5 years.

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