NTB

NTB, formally known in English as the Norwegian News Agency and in Norwegian as Norsk Telegrambyrå, is Norway's principal national news agency and a long-established provider of wire-service content. Founded in 1867, it supplies much of the country's major media sector with continuously updated domestic, international and sports reporting. Its customers and users have included newspapers, broadcasters, digital publishers and other organizations that rely on a centralized source of professionally gathered, edited and distributed news. The agency was initially privately owned. Following the First World War, it was acquired by AS Norsk Telegrambyrå, a limited company owned by a group of newspapers. This ownership structure reflected NTB's role as shared infrastructure for the Norwegian press: rather than operating primarily as a consumer-facing publication, it developed as a service organization whose content could be incorporated into the products of other media outlets. Large Norwegian media groups and broadcasters have historically held significant stakes, alongside regional newspapers and a small employee holding. NTB's core editorial activity is organized around three broad services: Norwegian domestic news, international news and sports. Beyond conventional text reporting, the agency has expanded into image journalism, graphics, video, culture, entertainment and feature content. Images have been part of its news offering since 1932. The photo agency Scanpix became a wholly owned subsidiary, extending NTB's role from text-based wire service into a broader provider of visual media assets. NTB operates around the clock. Its Oslo headquarters form the center of its Norwegian operations, while the agency has also maintained bureaus in Brussels and Tromsø. Since 2015, overnight coverage has been handled from Sydney, allowing the service to continue during Norwegian nighttime hours. This international operating footprint supports continuous news delivery while retaining a distinctly Norwegian editorial focus. The agency serves most of Norway's largest media outlets and has remained an important intermediary between events and the country's press and broadcasting systems. Its work includes original reporting, editing, distribution and specialized content services that media customers can use in print, broadcast and digital formats. NTB has also maintained an executive structure combining editorial and business responsibilities. Pål Bjerketvedt served as editor-in-chief and managing director from 2004 to 2016, while Ole Kristian Bjellaanes has served as executive editor. In December 2021, Tina Mari Flem was appointed chief editor and managing director, succeeding Mads Yngve Storvik. As an agency brand, NTB is positioned around speed, reliability, broad national coverage and the ability to provide content at a scale that individual media organizations may find difficult to reproduce independently. Its continuing importance comes from the combination of a long institutional history, a nationwide customer base, 24-hour operations and a portfolio that covers text, photographs, video, graphics and specialist editorial areas.

The Norwegian News Agency was established in 1867 under the Norwegian name Norsk Telegrambyrå, at a time when telegraph-based news distribution was becoming an important part of modern journalism. In its early period, NTB was privately owned and developed as a dedicated agency for gathering and transmitting news to the Norwegian press. After the First World War, the agency was acquired by AS Norsk Telegrambyrå, a limited company owned by a group of newspapers. This change placed NTB more directly within the institutional structure of the Norwegian newspaper industry. Its ownership by media companies helped support a shared national news infrastructure, enabling participating outlets to access reporting that could be distributed across multiple publications and, later, broadcasting and digital channels. NTB's services broadened over time. Text reporting remained central, but the agency also developed specialist coverage and multimedia capabilities. Images have formed part of its news services since 1932. The later integration of Scanpix as a wholly owned subsidiary strengthened the agency's position in photography and visual content, complementing its traditional wire reporting. The agency's editorial portfolio came to center on three major areas: Norwegian domestic news, international news and sports. It also produced or distributed news graphics, video, culture, entertainment and feature material. This breadth allowed NTB to serve not only as a source of breaking news but also as a supplier of regular content for different types of media output. NTB's operational model became continuous rather than limited to Norwegian business hours. Its main base is in Oslo, with additional bureaus in Brussels and Tromsø. From 2015, its night service was handled from Sydney, Australia, supporting 24-hour coverage and reducing the gap between Norwegian overnight hours and the news cycle in other parts of the world. The agency has historically been closely held by major Norwegian media interests. Reported shareholders have included Edda Media, Schibsted, A-Pressen, the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, Adresseavisen, TV 2, P4, smaller newspapers and employees. The exact ownership composition may change over time, but the structure illustrates NTB's role as a jointly relevant service provider for the national media system rather than a conventional publicly traded corporation. Leadership has combined editorial authority with operational management. Pål Bjerketvedt was editor-in-chief and managing director from 2004 through 2016. Mads Yngve Storvik subsequently held the chief editor and managing director role, and Tina Mari Flem was appointed to succeed him in December 2021. Ole Kristian Bjellaanes has also been identified as executive editor. In the contemporary media environment, NTB functions as a national wire and multimedia agency for much of Norway's major press and broadcasting sector. Its enduring value rests on its ability to collect, verify, edit and distribute news at scale, while its photo, video, graphics and specialist services allow customers to source more than text alone. The agency's long history, round-the-clock operations and broad customer base make it a central part of Norway's professional news infrastructure.

1. 2021Tina Mari Flem becomes chief editor and managing director

   Tina Mari Flem is appointed to lead the agency, succeeding Mads Yngve Storvik.

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2. 2015Sydney night service begins

   NTB's overnight service is handled from Sydney, Australia, supporting continuous coverage for Norwegian customers.

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3. 1932Photography enters the news service

   Images become part of NTB's news services, expanding the agency beyond text-based reporting.

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4. 1867NTB is established

   The Norwegian News Agency is founded under the name Norsk Telegrambyrå and begins operating as a Norwegian press and telegraph agency.

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A national, continuously operating wire service and multimedia content provider for Norwegian news organizations, emphasizing dependable reporting, rapid distribution and broad editorial coverage.

• Domestic news serviceNews wire

  NTB's domestic service covers political, social, economic and general-interest developments in Norway. It provides professionally gathered and edited reporting for newspapers, broadcasters and digital publishers that need a steady national news feed.

• International news serviceNews wire

  The international service supplies Norwegian media customers with reporting on events outside Norway. Its around-the-clock operating model and overseas presence support delivery across time zones while maintaining relevance for a Norwegian audience.

• Sports serviceSports news

  NTB's sports coverage is a dedicated editorial service covering sporting events and related developments. It forms one of the agency's three principal news areas and is distributed to media organizations as part of its wire offering.

• ScanpixNews photography

  Scanpix is NTB's wholly owned photo-agency subsidiary. It extends the group's news offering into photographic content and supports media customers that require images alongside written reporting.

• Multimedia and specialist servicesMedia content services

  In addition to core wire stories, NTB provides or has provided specialist content in news graphics, video, culture, entertainment and feature journalism. These services broaden the agency's usefulness across print, broadcast and digital publishing.

1. Norwegian News Agency
2. NTB official website