Holland Combinatie, TMG (Telegraaf Media Groep)’s publisher of free local door-to-door distributed newspapers, is acquiring the free local newspaper publishers Janssen Pers Postiljon Uitgeverij (JPPU) and the Weekbladen Groep Midden Nederland (WGMN) from the Nederlandse Weekbladen Groep BV, with retroactive effect from 1 September 2008.

JPPU and WGMN publish free local newspapers in the provinces of Zuid Holland and Utrecht with a weekly circulation of approximately 550,000 copies:

• In the south-west Rotterdam region, 3 Delta editions with a circulation of over 100,000.
• In the north-east Rotterdam region, 7 Postiljon editions with a circulation of almost 250,000.
• In the Utrecht region, 5 free local newspapers (including Ons Utrecht) with a circulation of over 200,000.

Furthermore, Holland Combinatie on 17 September 2008 commenced publishing De Echo in the Rotterdam – Rijnmond region, a new free local newspaper publication with a weekly circulation of approximately 650,000.

As a result, Holland Combinatie currently publishes 115 free local newspapers in the region straddling Texel – Rotterdam – Utrecht, with a weekly circulation exceeding 3.7 million copies. In addition, a network of associated local websites is being operated on the Internet.

The acquisition of the existing newspapers and the introduction of the new free local newspaper is an important step for Holland Combinatie in its pursuit to strengthen its position in the Randstad area in the Netherlands.