Over the past few months Aftenposten has conducted a complete revision of its product and readership strategy. A series of alternatives have been considered, and the following conclusion has been reached:
– The morning edition of Aftenposten should be a news leading, compact and efficient newspaper. It should serve readers with a busy everyday life as well as those wanting to spend more time on reading the paper, says Editor-in-chief Hans Erik Matre.
– During the past few years both the market position and the profitability of the morning edition has been weakened. Renewal is paramount, and a format change is a strong measure that is easy to communicate.
Changing to a more popular format could strengthen Aftenposten in new readership segments. Surveys carried out by the newspaper show that 73 percent of the participants in the age 15 to 29 years prefer a smaller format, while the same is true for 70 percent of all subscribers. In addition, a vast majority (85 percent) states that the perception of the paper would not be changed as a result of a format change.
The decision is subject to approval by the Schibsted board of directors Thursday 25 March.
For further comments, please contact Editor-in-chief Hans Erik Matre in Aftenposten, telephone +47 90135423 or director of information Anne Lise Gjetvik, telephone +47 91139545.
Oslo, 23 March 2004
Schibsted ASA
Gisle Glück Evensen
Investor Relations