Mediahuis acquisition to go ahead after rival bid rejected
Belgian media conglomerate Mediahuis has successfully bid to acquire Telegraaf Media Groep (TMG) after rival media magnate John de Mol had his bid rejected by an Amsterdam company court. Mediahuis will acquire 60% of TMG’s shares. John de Mol’s investment arm, Talpa, currently owns approximately 26% of TMG shares. Talpa had taken Mediahuis to court to demand independent supervision of the acquisition, which led to two members of the TMG executive board being suspended after being accused of supporting Talpa’s takeover bid.
The acquisition of the Telegraaf Media Groep by Belgium’s Mediahuis is virtually assured after the Amsterdam company court rejected the attempt by media magnate John de Mol to buy the country’s largest newspaper.

Mediahuis agreed on 5 March to acquire TMG and now controls about 60% of the shares. De Mol’s investment arm Talpa has about 26% of TMG shares.

Talpa, supported by shareholders lobby group VEB, took Mediahuis to the Amsterdam company court demanding the appointment of an independent supervisor to look into the acquisition. The action was joined by two members of TMG’s executive board who were suspended after being accused of backing Talpa’s bid.

‘We are very disappointed with the decision of the company court and we are readying further moves,’Talpa said in a statement after the ruling on Tuesday evening.

If the Belgian acquisition goes ahead, all the main Dutch daily papers and many regional ones will be in the hands of two Belgian media groups. The Telegraaf is the biggest circulation Dutch daily.