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{{Short description|Estonian news agency reporting on news related to the Baltic states}}
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The '''Baltic News Service''' (BNS) is the largest [[news agency]] operating in the [[Baltic states]]. Founded in April, 1990, by a group of [[students]] (the founding CEO was [[Allan Martinson]]), it sought to inform [[correspondent|foreign correspondents]] in [[Moscow]] of developments in the Baltic states' [[Baltic states#Histories|struggles for independence]] from the [[Soviet Union]]. Within a few months, it had been recognized by numerous [[Western world|Western]] [[News media|media]] sources.
{{Use British English|date=January 2022}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Expand Latvian|Baltic News Service|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox company
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| name = Baltic News Service
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| logo = Baltic News Service logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| type =
| foundation = 1990
| location = [[Tallinn]], [[Estonia]]
| key_people =
| industry = [[News agency]]
| revenue =
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| num_employees =
| owner =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{URL|www.bns.ee}} (Estonia)<br>{{URL|www.bns.lt}} (Lithuania)
| footnotes =
}}
[[File:Saltoniskiu 9b by Augustas Didzgalvis.jpg|thumb|Headquarters in [[Vilnius]] ]]
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The '''Baltic News Service''' (BNS) is the largest [[news agency]] operating in the [[Baltic states|Baltic States]]. Founded in April 1990, by a group of [[student]]s (the founding CEO was [[Allan Martinson]]), it sought to inform [[correspondent|foreign correspondents]] in [[Moscow]] of developments in the Baltic States' [[Baltic states#Histories|struggles for independence]] from the [[Soviet Union]]. Within a few months, it had been recognized by numerous [[Western world|Western]] [[News media|media]] sources.


Today, BNS is a [[holding company]] for separate organizations in [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], and [[Lithuania]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}
BNS is the leading source of information about the Baltic countries. Our news organization has operations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. With products geared toward the professional user, BNS aims to provide full and reliable real-time coverage of domestic and international news.
The world's leading news agencies ThomsonReuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Associated Press (AP), Interfax, and the national news agencies of Finland, Poland and Austria are our international information source partners, which in turn rely on our Baltic coverage in their everyday work.
Our team of about one hundred journalists produces more than a thousand news stories in five languages (Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian and English) daily.
The news agency together with the media monitoring companies make up BNS Group, a holding of the Finnish Alma Media Corporation.


BNS disseminates news in Russian and English (as well as the domestic languages of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian) via the [[internet]] and by other means. Subscribers include media, financial, industrial, and government institutions in the Baltic States. BNS also collaborates with [[Agence France-Presse]], [[Reuters]], and [[Interfax]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2022}}

In 2003, the BNS publishing company in Estonia, BNS Kirjastus, bought the bankrupt news agency ETA ([[Eesti Teadeteagentuur]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://majandus24.postimees.ee/2003445/bns-ostis-ara-eta-kaubamargi|title = BNS ostis ära ETA kaubamärgi|date = 4 March 2003}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://arileht.delfi.ee/news/uudised/bns-ostis-uudisteagentuuri-eta-kaubamargi?id=5246629|title = BNS ostis uudisteagentuuri ETA kaubamärgi}}</ref>

BNS was wholly owned by the [[Finland|Finnish]] [[media group]] [[Alma Media]] from 2001<ref>[http://www.almamedia.fi/uutishuone/tiedote/GdR1CmFtSJamd085BH_DIg/kauppalehti-osti-kokonaan-baltian-johtavan-uutistoimisto-bnsn/ Kauppalehti osti kokonaan Baltian johtavan uutistoimisto BNS:n] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408215131/http://www.almamedia.fi/uutishuone/tiedote/GdR1CmFtSJamd085BH_DIg/kauppalehti-osti-kokonaan-baltian-johtavan-uutistoimisto-bnsn/ |date=8 April 2014 }}. Press release by Alma Media Oyj, 5 December 2001. (In Finnish.)</ref> until March 2014 when it was sold to Uudisvoog OÜ, a company fully owned by the Estonian Ilmar Kompus who is also the proprietor of the [[Sky Plus]] radio station.<ref>[http://www.almamedia.fi/uutishuone/tiedote/kIIIcvPYShu0NsSKcLTVBQ/alma-media-myy-bnsn/ Alma Media myy BNS:n] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408224718/http://www.almamedia.fi/uutishuone/tiedote/kIIIcvPYShu0NsSKcLTVBQ/alma-media-myy-bnsn/ |date=8 April 2014 }}. Press release by Alma Media Oyj, 3 March 2014. (In Finnish.)</ref>

Later,{{When|date=January 2022}} BNS was acquired by Eesti Meedia (now [[Postimees Group]]), which is owned by Estonian entrepreneur [[Margus Linnamäe]] through investment firm [[MM Group]]. In late 2015, BNS was effectively joined by [[LETA]] (Latvia's formerly state-owned news agency) when UP Invest (a subsidiary of MM Group) acquired most shares in the Latvian agency.<ref name="LSMNews 2016-JAN-05"/> To satisfy regulatory concerns, Eesti Meedia sold Latvian BNS operations (subsequently renamed Latvian News Service) and media monitoring service Mediju Monitorings to a third-party Estonian company named AMP Investeeringud on 31 August 2015.<ref name="LSMNews 2016-JAN-05"/> Later, it was discovered that most employees of the Latvian News Service and Mediju Monitorings were transferred to LETA, but was not disclosed to the Latvian authorities at the time of the acquisition.<ref name="LSMNews 2019-JAN-24"/> On 18 January 2019, the [[Competition Council (Latvia)|Competition Council of Latvia]] imposed a €32,200 fine on MM Group.<ref name="LSMNews 2019-JAN-24"/>
<!--
With the 2003 acquisition of ETA in Estonia by BNS and the 2015 integration of LETA in Latvia, [[ELTA]] in Lithuania remains to be the only formerly state-owned news agency in Baltic countries not acquired by BNS. -->

==See also==
* [[Baltic News Network]]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="LSMNews 2016-JAN-05">{{cite news |title=Competition watchdog okays sale of LETA news agency to MM Grupp |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/society/competition-watchdog-okays-sale-of-leta-news-agency-to-mm-grupp.a162635/ |access-date=12 January 2022 |work=eng.lsm.lv |publisher=[[Public broadcasting of Latvia]] |date=5 January 2016 |language=en}}</ref>
<ref name="LSMNews 2019-JAN-24">{{cite news |title=Owner of LETA news agency fined over 2015 acquisition deal |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/economy/economy/owner-of-leta-news-agency-fined-over-2015-acquisition-deal.a307153/ |access-date=12 January 2022 |work=eng.lsm.lv |publisher=[[Public broadcasting of Latvia]] |date=24 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.bns.ee/ BNS Estonia]
* [http://www.bns.ee/ BNS Estonia]
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* [http://www.bns.lv/ BNS Latvia]
* [http://www.bns.lt/ BNS Lithuania]
* [http://www.bns.lt/ BNS Lithuania]
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081109040103/http://www.bns.lv/ BNS Latvia]


{{News agencies}}
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[[Category:Media companies of Estonia]]
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[[Category:Media companies of Latvia]]
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[[Category:Media companies of Lithuania]]
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[[Category:1990 establishments in Lithuania]]
{{media-company-stub}}
{{Lithuania-stub}}


{{Authority control}}
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[[et:Baltic News Service]]

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[[it:Baltic News Service]]
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[[Category:1990 establishments in Lithuania]]
[[lt:BNS]]
[[Category:News agencies based in Estonia]]
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[[Category:Mass media companies of Latvia]]
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[[Category:Mass media companies of Lithuania]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Tallinn]]
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[[Category:Holding companies of Estonia]]

Latest revision as of 07:46, 21 January 2024

Baltic News Service
IndustryNews agency
Founded1990
HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
Websitewww.bns.ee (Estonia)
www.bns.lt (Lithuania)
Headquarters in Vilnius

The Baltic News Service (BNS) is the largest news agency operating in the Baltic States. Founded in April 1990, by a group of students (the founding CEO was Allan Martinson), it sought to inform foreign correspondents in Moscow of developments in the Baltic States' struggles for independence from the Soviet Union. Within a few months, it had been recognized by numerous Western media sources.

Today, BNS is a holding company for separate organizations in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.[citation needed]

BNS disseminates news in Russian and English (as well as the domestic languages of Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian) via the internet and by other means. Subscribers include media, financial, industrial, and government institutions in the Baltic States. BNS also collaborates with Agence France-Presse, Reuters, and Interfax.[citation needed]

In 2003, the BNS publishing company in Estonia, BNS Kirjastus, bought the bankrupt news agency ETA (Eesti Teadeteagentuur).[1][2]

BNS was wholly owned by the Finnish media group Alma Media from 2001[3] until March 2014 when it was sold to Uudisvoog OÜ, a company fully owned by the Estonian Ilmar Kompus who is also the proprietor of the Sky Plus radio station.[4]

Later,[when?] BNS was acquired by Eesti Meedia (now Postimees Group), which is owned by Estonian entrepreneur Margus Linnamäe through investment firm MM Group. In late 2015, BNS was effectively joined by LETA (Latvia's formerly state-owned news agency) when UP Invest (a subsidiary of MM Group) acquired most shares in the Latvian agency.[5] To satisfy regulatory concerns, Eesti Meedia sold Latvian BNS operations (subsequently renamed Latvian News Service) and media monitoring service Mediju Monitorings to a third-party Estonian company named AMP Investeeringud on 31 August 2015.[5] Later, it was discovered that most employees of the Latvian News Service and Mediju Monitorings were transferred to LETA, but was not disclosed to the Latvian authorities at the time of the acquisition.[6] On 18 January 2019, the Competition Council of Latvia imposed a €32,200 fine on MM Group.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "BNS ostis ära ETA kaubamärgi". 4 March 2003.
  2. ^ "BNS ostis uudisteagentuuri ETA kaubamärgi".
  3. ^ Kauppalehti osti kokonaan Baltian johtavan uutistoimisto BNS:n Archived 8 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Press release by Alma Media Oyj, 5 December 2001. (In Finnish.)
  4. ^ Alma Media myy BNS:n Archived 8 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Press release by Alma Media Oyj, 3 March 2014. (In Finnish.)
  5. ^ a b "Competition watchdog okays sale of LETA news agency to MM Grupp". eng.lsm.lv. Public broadcasting of Latvia. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Owner of LETA news agency fined over 2015 acquisition deal". eng.lsm.lv. Public broadcasting of Latvia. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
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