Is Italy’s RCS Mediagroup Selling Flammarion?

In Global Trade Talk by Olivia Snaije

Olivia Snaije

Rumors have been flying about whether or not the financially beleaguered giant Italian RCS Mediagroup, which owns Rizzoli, Oxford University Press, Skira and 100% of the Flammarion group is looking to unload the latter.

Since RCS’ Executive Committee met on January 19 and decided to investigate whether or not it was in their interest to keep assets “not straightly included in the core business (comprising Flammarion),” French trade magazine Livres Hebdo reported, using Reuters Italy as a source, that two offers had been made to buy Flammarion — one of which was by Antoine Gallimard. Gallimard, however, denied the rumor.

Livres Hebdo added that the Flammarion group had ended 2011 in a “satisfactory” way, in part thanks to a boost in sales of Tintin books (published by Flammarion’s Caterman imprint) following the release of Steven Spielberg’s film.

To be continued….

About the Author

Olivia Snaije

Olivia Snaije is a journalist and editor based in Paris who writes about translation, literature, graphic novels, the Middle East, and multiculturalism. She is the author of three books and has contributed to newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Global Post, and The New York Times.