Koninklijke Wegener NV was a Dutch newspaper publisher and the largest producer of daily regional newspapers, free local newspapers, and special interest magazines in the Netherlands. The company also offered internet and graphic products. The company ceased to exist after being acquired by the Belgian media company De Persgroep in 2015.
History
The origin of Wegener date back to November 1903, when Johan Frederik Wegener started a news and magazine advertising business in Apeldoorn. He later launched a newspaper that would later become the Apeldoornse Courant. The Wegener corporation, as it existed in its later form, was shaped through a series of mergers and acquisitions.
In August 1999, VNU, another Dutch publisher, sold all its newspapers including BN/DeStem, Brabants Dagblad, Eindhovens Dagblad, and De Gelderlander to Wegener, significantly strengthing the company's position in the Dutch media market.
Since 6 February 2007, all Wegener newspapers have been published in tabloid format. The company has been recognised as the largest publisher of regional newspapers and door-to-door papers in the Netherlands.[1]
Companies
Wegener consisted of about 40 businesses, both in the Netherlands and in several other European countries.