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[[File:Bertelsmann-Signet.jpg|thumb|The original C. Bertelsmann Verlag company logo as it appears on Carl Bertelsmann's tomb in Gütersloh]]
 
The nucleus of the corporation is the ''C. Bertelsmann Verlag'', a publishing house established on July 1, July 1835 by Carl Bertelsmann in Gütersloh.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann |location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|page=12}}</ref> Carl Bertelsmann was a representative of the "[[Minden-Ravensberg]]er Erweckungsbewegung", a [[Christian revival|Protestant revival]] movement, whose writings he published.<ref>{{cite news|language=de|title=Singen zu Gottes Ehre und eigener Freude| newspaper=Westfalen-Blatt|date=1 July 2010}}</ref> The C. Bertelsmann Verlag, originally specialized in theological literature, expanded its publications to include school and textbooks and in the 1920s and 1930s increasingly entered into the field of light fiction.<ref>{{cite book| language=de|first=Thomas |last= Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns| publisher= Fink| location=Paderborn, Munich| year= 2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=27}}</ref>
 
=== 1933–1945 ===
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Starting in 1971, Bertelsmann operated as a [[joint-stock company]] ("{{lang|de|[[Aktiengesellschaft]]}}" or "AG"), renamed Bertelsmann AG.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|page=37}}</ref> The increasingly diversifying book publishers were bundled in the ''Verlagsgruppe Bertelsmann'' publishing group at the end of the 1960s.<ref>{{cite book|language=de|first=Thomas |last=Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns|publisher=Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich|year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|pages=88}}</ref> In 1972, this company moved from Gütersloh to Munich.<ref>{{cite book|language=de|first=Thomas |last=Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns|publisher=Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich|year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=91}}</ref> Key divisions remained in Gütersloh, for which a new office building was built in 1976 at the group's official location.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.bertelsmann.com/en/milestones/view/52|website=Chronicle|publisher=Bertelsmann|title=Gütersloh Head Office Moves to New Premises|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref> To this day, it has remained the Bertelsmann headquarters, referred to as the ''Bertelsmann Corporate Center''. The rapid growth of Bertelsmann led to structural and financial problems. In the 1970s, financing requirements reached their peak. From 1975 to 1980, for example, the [[return on sales]] fell below one percent.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|page=43}}</ref> Bertelsmann also encountered new regulatory rules in its home market, in particular through laws governing mergers.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|page=40}}</ref> Larger acquisitions became practically impossible. At the same time, there was an increasing saturation of the German market for the Bertelsmann Lesering,<ref>{{cite book|language=de|first=Thomas |last=Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns|publisher=Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich|year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=56}}</ref> whereas the foreign book clubs earned the lion's share of revenues in this corporate division.<ref>{{cite book|language=de|first=Thomas |last=Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns|publisher=Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich|year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=57}}</ref>
 
The internationalization of Bertelsmann, initiated in the 1960s, was taken further:<ref>{{cite book|language=de|first=Christine |last=Hierl|title=Medienkonzentration und die Internationalisierung deutscher Medienkonzerne am Beispiel der Bertelsmann AG|year=2007|location=München|isbn=978-3-638-60658-5|publisher=GRIN Verlag}}</ref> Among other things, Bertelsmann acquired shares in the publishing houses Plaza & Janés<ref>{{cite news|website=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung|language=de|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/chronologie-die-bertelsmann-geschichte-173907.html|title=Chronologie: Die Bertelsmann-Geschichte|date=29 July 2002|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref> based in Barcelona and [[Bantam Books]]<ref>{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of New York City|edition=2nd|editor1=Kenneth T. Jackson|editor2=Lisa Keller|editor3=Nancy Flood|publisher=[[Yale University Press]]|year=2010}}</ref> from New York City. In the United States, a location was established for [[Ariola Records|Ariola]] and, in 1979, [[Arista Records]] was acquired from [[Columbia Pictures]].<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date= 28 July 1979|title=Columbia Pictures To Sell Record Unit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/07/28/archives/columbia-pictures-to-sell-record-unit.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |location= |access-date=January 1, January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=October 2, October 1979 |title=COLUMBIA COMPLETES SALE OF ARISTA RECORDS UNIT |url=https://latimes.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times/137835668/ |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location= |access-date=January 1, January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Reinhard |last=Mohn|title=Erfolg durch Menschlichkeit und Freiheit|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2008|isbn=978-3-570-01110-2|language=de}}</ref> In the period of the [[Early 1980s recession|1979–1980 recession]], there was discussion concerning the succession of Reinhard Mohn.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|pages=44–45}}</ref> In 1981, he finally moved over to the [[supervisory board]]. Dr. Juergen Kraemer, former Finance Minister of West Germany, who had previously headed up management of Gruner + Jahr, became the new [[chairman]] and [[chief executive officer]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/karriere/a-191990.html|website=[[Manager Magazin]]|title=Top-Manager Manfred Fischer ist tot|language=de|date=15 April 2002|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref> With this move, Bertelsmann, for the first time, was led by a manager who was not a member of the owner family.<ref>{{cite news|language=de|url=http://www.zeit.de/1981/08/rueckzug-an-die-spitze|title=Rückzug an die Spitze|website=Die Zeit|first=Heinz-Günter|last= Kemmer|date=13 February 1981|access-date=20 November 2015}}</ref> Mark Wössner became Fischer's successor as chairman and chief executive officer of Bertelsmann in 1983.<ref>{{cite news|language=de|magazine=Der Spiegel|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14355929.html|title=Im Zweifel selbst|date=29 November 1982|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref> The affair concerning the forged [[Hitler Diaries|Hitler diaries]] occurred at the beginning of his tenure, which damaged the reputation of Gruner + Jahr and Bertelsmann as a whole.<ref>{{cite news|magazine=Der Spiegel|language=de|title=Die Kehrseite|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14020705.html|date=30 May 1983|access-date=20 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.zeit.de/1983/28/kopflos-in-die-krise|title=Kopflos in die Krise|author1=Gunhild Freese|author2=Richard Gaul|website=Die Zeit|date=8 July 1983|access-date=20 November 2015|language=de}}</ref>
 
=== 1984–1993 ===
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In 2019, Bertelsmann also boosted cooperation in the German content market by establishing the [[Bertelsmann Content Alliance|Content Alliance]],<ref>{{cite news|language=de|first=Carsten|last= Germis|url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/bertelsmann-buendelt-sein-geschaeft-in-content-alliance-16013586.html|title=Medienkonzern: Bertelsmann bündelt sein Geschäft in Kreativ-Allianz|website=faz.net|date=29 January 2019|access-date=25 April 2019}}</ref> headed up by [[Julia Jäkel]].<ref>{{cite web|language=de|url=https://meedia.de/2019/01/29/content-alliance-bertelsmann-vernetzt-inhalte-produktion-im-konzern-unter-leitung-von-gj-chefin-julia-jaekel/|title=Content Alliance: Bertelsmann vernetzt Inhalte-Produktion im Konzern unter Leitung von G+J-Chefin Julia Jäkel|website=meedia.de|date=29 January 2019|access-date=26 April 2019}}</ref> The key players in this initiative involve the television and radio broadcasting networks of the Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, UFA TV production company, Random House publishing company, Gruner + Jahr, as well as the BMG music company.<ref>{{cite web|language=de|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/it-medien/rtl-ufa-grunerjahr-random-house-bertelsmann-will-medientoechter-als-content-alliance-buendeln/23923456.html|title=Bertelsmann will Medientöchter als "Content Alliance" bündeln|website=handelsblatt.com|date=20 January 2019|access-date=25 April 2019}}</ref> The Bertelsmann Content Alliance develops joint formats and delivers a full range of products and services for creative professionals.<ref>{{cite web|language=de|url=https://www.boersenblatt.net/2019-01-29-artikel-bertelsmann_startet_content_alliance_in_deutschland.1590122.html|title=Bertelsmann startet Content Alliance in Deutschland / Gemeinsame Formate im Fokus|website=boersenblatt.net|date=29 January 2019|access-date=18 June 2019}}</ref>
 
On 25 November 25, 2020, it was reported that Bertelsmann will acquire the American publisher [[Simon & Schuster]] from [[ViacomCBS]] for more than $2 billion.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lauer|first=Douglas Busvine, Klaus|date=2020-11-25|title=Bertelsmann buys Simon & Schuster for $2.2 billion in U.S. publishing play|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-viacomcbs-m-a-bertelsmann-idUSKBN2851E6|access-date=2020-11-25}}</ref> On 14 December 14, 2020, Bertelsmann entered talks to sell the French magazine publisher Prisma Media, a division of Gruner + Jahr, to [[Vivendi]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-12-14|title=Vivendi enters exclusive talks for Prisma Media|language=en|work=[[MarketWatch]]|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/vivendi-enters-exclusive-talks-for-prisma-media-2020-12-14|access-date=2021-05-07}}</ref> The sale was completed on 31 May 31, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/global/vivendi-prisma-media-acquisition-1234985027|title = Vivendi Finalizes Acquisition of Leading Publishing Group Prisma Media|date = 31 May 2021}}</ref>
 
On January 29, January 2021, Bertelsmann began to explore selling its controlling stake in the French television channel [[M6 (TV channel)|M6]].<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Pollina|first1=Elvira|last2=Schuetze|first2=Arno|last3=Barzic|first3=Gwénaëlle|date=2021-01-29|title=EXCLUSIVE-Bertelsmann explores potential sale of French media group M6 – sources|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/bertelsmann-m6-ma-idUSL1N2K40TK|access-date=2021-05-07}}</ref>
 
== Divisions ==