These first years of the twenty-first century saw major changes in the Nordic media market. Most of the larger media groups in the Nordic countries have been quick to establish a presence on the web.
Statistics
The Nordic Media Market
9 ProSieben Sat.1 Group acquired media shares in the Nordic countries in 2007 by buying SBS Broadcasting, consolidated in Pro Sieben Sat.1 per 1 July 2007. 7 ProSieben Sat.1 Group acquired media interests in the Nordic countries in 2007 by purchasing SBS Broadcasting, consolidated into Pro Sieben Sat.1 from 1 July 2007.
Newspapers
Sources: Danish Circulation Audit, Finland's Newspaper Association, Finnish Circulation Audit/Statistics Finland, Statistics Iceland, Journalistinstituttet/Volda University College (Norway) (processed), Swedish Press Support Council (processed). Sources: Danske Oplagsrevision, Finnish Newspapers Association, Finnish Audit Bureau of Circulations/Statistics Finland, Statistics Iceland, Institute of Journalism/Volda University College (Norway) (processed), Statistics Norway, Swedish Press Support Council (processed).
Magazines
Sources: Danish Audit Office of Circulations, Finnish Audit Office of Circulations, Statistics Iceland, Association of Norwegian Magazine Publishers/medianorway, Swedish Audit Office of Circulations. Sources: Finnish Audit Bureau of Circulations, Association of Norwegian Magazine Publishers/medianorway, Swedish Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Radio
12 "Nationalwide" is defined in Iceland as channels that reach all regions of the country and at least 90% of the population; "Quasi-national" are channels that reach two or more regions of the country and over 50% of the population. 20 Of the organizations authorized to broadcast over radio frequencies in the neighborhood in 2007, 29% were scriptural organizations, 16% radio associations, 16% local umbrella organizations, 7% political parties, 9% ethnic and cultural organizations, 18% 'other' and 6 percent unknown. Sources: Media Secretariat (Denmark), DR, Radio-TV handbook April 2008, YLE, Association of Finnish TV companies, Iceland Statistics, Norsk Medietilsyn, Norkring, medianorway, SR, RUAB/Sifo Media, Sveriges Radio- og TV- oversight.
5 Nationwide in Iceland is defined as: Channels that reach all regions of the country and at least 90% of the population; and Quasi-national: Channels reaching two or more regions of the country and over 50% of the population. 1 MTG's radio revenues for Sweden 2006 are estimated based on the division's total revenues, minus P4 Norge (Norway) and an estimate of revenues from MTG's radio operations in the Baltic States.
Television
A channel whose content is linguistically accessible to the public, i.e. the main language of the channel must be the main national language(s). Second, the content must follow a country-specific programming schedule. Cable television stations produce local programming that strives for "the widest possible freedom of expression and freedom of information". Sources: TNS Gallup Denmark, Statistics Finland, Finnpanel, Iceland Telecom, Statistics Iceland, Social Science Institute at the University of Iceland, Statistics Norway, Nordicom-Sweden.
Sources: TNS Gallup Denmark, Finnpanel and YLE Audience Research, Social Science Institute University of Iceland, Capacent, MMI Norway TNS Gallup Norway (2000–), SVT/MMS. Sources: TNS Gallup Denmark, Finnpanel and YLE Hearing Research, Social Science Institute at the University of Iceland, Capacent, RÚV, MMI Norway TNS Gallup Norway (2000–), MMS/SVT.
Internet
Internet advertising (without distinction); 2002 and later: Data also includes online catalog advertising and search marketing. Due to changes in the method and the sources used, the data for the two periods are not comparable. 1 Proportion of households that can connect to an exchange that has been modified to support xDSL technology, to a cable network upgraded for Internet traffic, or to other broadband technologies.
4 Traffic data specifically for TV4.se is not available; they are reported in total for the network, TV4 Nya Medier, which includes: tv4.se, tvplaneten.se, tv4vadret.se, tv4nyheterna. Data for the network is reported in a different context than other sites; therefore, its ranking is not shown here.
The International Media Market
4 Parks and Resorts, revenues USD 10 626 million, and Consumer Products, revenues USD 2 347 million, excluding i media revenues. Earnings for Universal Parks & Resorts not available and therefore not excluded from media income. 6 Telecom (SFR and Maroc Telecom), revenue USD 15 696 million, and games, revenue USD 1 393 million, not included in media revenue.
2 Telecom (SFR and Maroc Telecom), turnover DKK 11,474 million euros, and games, revenue 1 018 million euros, not included in media revenue. 7 With the exception of Disneyland Resort Paris, 892 Meuro, revenue in Europe from Parks, Resorts and Consumer Products is included in media revenue.
Demographic & Economic Data
Note: Average number of households in Iceland; number of households/dwellings by the end of the year otherwise.
Media Market Analyses
Nevertheless, both the combined circulation and – in all countries except Norway – the number of titles have decreased in recent decades. The Norwegian daily press has the second largest (after Japan) average combined circulation per thousand inhabitants (adult population) in the world. All in all, many residents find their papers in the mailbox at the beginning of the day.
Most newspaper publishers in the Nordic countries are locally owned and have their roots in the newspaper business (and, to some extent, other print media). Newspapers' share of the advertising market – roughly 50 percent – has also declined in the past decade, being displaced to some extent by the Internet.
DENMARK
In Denmark, there is support for distribution and a smaller amount for new projects, which represents 3-4 percent of newspaper revenues. In other words, total circulation fell by more than 40 percent during this period. Since 2003, when the three titles came under the same roof, the drop in circulation has been around 20%.
J/P Politiken's newspaper activities also include free local newspapers in Denmark (and later in southern Sweden), published by the subsidiary Politiken's Lokalaviser (a total of 70 titles in Denmark and Sweden) plus 24.5 per cent. owned by MetroXpress Danmark A/S, publisher of the free dailies MetroXpress and 24timer. All in all, in 2008, Berlingske's newspapers accounted for just under 30 percent of the total weekday circulation.
FINLAND
Berlingske Media is the company that has suffered the largest circulation losses among Danish publishers. Today, the company's operations are organized into five divisions: Sanoma News (newspapers), Sanoma Magazines, Sanoma Entertainment (broadcasting, cable and broadband services), Sanoma Learning & Literature and Rautakirja/Sanoma Trade (press distribution, cinemas, retail). . The company was formed in 1997 through the merger of Tampere-based newspaper publisher, Aamulehti-yhtymä, and the leading commercial television channel, MTV3.
Since the spin-off of the company's broadcasting division in 2005 (now owned by Bonnier), Alma Media focuses on newspapers, business information (Kauppalehti group), online media and electronic markets. In addition, the company owns 20 other newspapers, seven of which are daily.
ICELAND
The distribution of daily newspaper revenues has been relatively stable over the years between daily newspapers and non-daily newspapers, with daily newspapers accounting for about 85-90 percent of the total. In Iceland, Baugur until mid-2008 owned the tabloid-like newspaper DV (90%), the magazine publisher Birtingur útgáfufélag ehf. the largest publisher of consumer magazines in Iceland) and owner of a book publishing company. The buyer, Austursel ehf., is a private company owned by a close business partner and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baugur Group, which owns a 10 percent share in the group.
One of the main new owners is also behind the recently launched online media, pressan.is. Among the newspaper's previous owners was Exista hf., which bought 40 percent of the assets in the newspaper and weekly fishing news Fiskifréttir in 2006.
NORWAY
As the main investor in Skipti hf., an established telecommunications operator in Iceland, Exista is also involved in television. The other main owners are investment funds that do not actively participate in the operational management of the group. The company also owns Eesti Media Group, a newspaper and magazine publishing house in Estonia that publishes one of the largest newspapers in the country.
Due to the prevailing uncertainty in the financial market, the final steps of the merger were postponed. Until autumn 2006, Orkla Media was one of the largest media groups in the Nordic region with newspapers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine.
SWEDEN
Some of the titles are imitations of or have their counterparts in the Nordic countries and elsewhere. Second on the Norwegian market is Denmark's Aller with around 40 percent of the market. Four of the latter titles account for 16 percent of the total circulation in the category of professional and organizational magazines.
The inhabitants of the Nordic countries, like the inhabitants of the whole of Northern Europe, are quite avid radio listeners. With the advent of privately owned radio in the Nordic countries, listenership shares of public channels have declined.
DENMARK The radio market
The main owner is the Erkko family, which holds about 40 percent of the voting shares. Four of the stations are provided by a subsidiary of 365 miðlar ehf., the general Stöð 2 and the niche channels Sýn (sports, with an extra offer on several channels in digital format), Stöð 2-Sirkus (entertainment, fiction, music ) and Stöð 2-bíó (movies). The station is the main presenter for RÚV-TV and Stöð 2. The remaining private channels are a fundamentalist Christian TV, talk TV and two local channels.
Skipti ehf., the current telecom company and several other small players transmit foreign channels to subscribers in a digital format via broadband (ADSL), with a technical availability of up to about 90 percent of households. The television market has changed radically in the last fifteen to twenty years.
Danish Agency for Libraries and Media www.bs.dk Danish Audit Bureau of Circulations www.do.dk. Danish Newspaper Association, DDF www.pressenshus.dk FDIM – Foreningen van Danske InternetMedier www.fdim.dk. Finnish Association of Magazine Publishers www.aikakaus.fi Finnish Audit Bureau of Circulations www.levikintarkastus.fi Finnish Association of Newspapers www.sanomalehdet.fi.
Sveriges Tidskrifter (januari 2008) www.sverigestidskrifter.se TS, Sveriges cirkulationskontrollverk www.ts.se.
NORDICOM
