Sanoma, part of the SanomaWSOY Group, will merge its newspaper subsidiaries Helsingin Sanomat Oy, Ilta-Sanomat Oy and Sanoma Kaupunkilehdet Oy with the parent company, Sanoma Corporation (to be renamed Sanoma News Oy as of 1 October), effective 1 January 2009. This decision was prompted by the need to harmonise the operational and legal structure of the company, particularly in the area of online business.
"We need more collaboration to be able to serve our customers better and make the development of our business more flexible. The complex legal structure has hampered effective cooperation especially in our digital business," says Mikael Pentikäinen, President of Sanoma Corporation.
The change in corporate structure has no effect on the publication of newspapers or personnel.
Sanoma, part of the SanomaWSOY Group, is the leading newspaper publisher in Finland. In addition to Helsingin Sanomat, the largest daily in the Nordic region, the Division publishes Ilta-Sanomat, Finland's largest quality tabloid, as well as regional newspapers and free sheets.
In addition to its print products, Sanoma is also investing heavily in digital business. For its corporate customers, Sanoma offers business information, a picture agency, news monitoring, and printing services.