Bertelsmann: Difference between revisions

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>

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>

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>