Gedi, Antenna's Greeks: 'Italy strategic, investments guaranteed'

Antenna Group considers Italy a strategic country for its international expansion and reiterates that every industrial initiative is carried out with the utmost respect for the contexts in which it operates. This was reported by sources close to the Greek publisher, which has been negotiating for months with Gedi (Exor) to take over the group's publishing assets (with exclusivity extended for another two months). The same sources emphasise how the investment is entirely attributable to the Greek group of the Kyriakou family and moves in a logic of long-term presence.

In Italy, Antenna Group would therefore aim for a development strategy. The titles the group intends to acquire, it is reported, would be supported by investments aimed at strengthening their editorial capacities, sustaining growth - including employment - in the long term, and developing their potential on foreign markets.

The investment guidelines,' they go on to say, 'are based on journalistic independence and pluralism, the maintenance of the editorial line of the titles, support for editorial quality, and openness to global markets, as well as a long-term commitment to the sustainable development of the realities in which the group operates.

The undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for information and publishing, Alberto Barachini, today received Gedi's top management at the department's headquarters. During the meeting, the executive asked for 'information on the definition of possible transfer agreements and the company's commitment to include in such agreements the protection of employment levels and the guarantee of the editorial independence of historic titles that represent an important asset of the national pluralistic information ecosystem'. "We urge the group," Barachini said, "to be as transparent as possible at all stages of the negotiations and, in particular, we ask to be updated on any non-European shareholdings of the corporate vehicle interested in the purchase.

Meanwhile, Exor 'categorically denies that negotiations are underway regarding the sale of a stake in Juventus'. This is what a spokesperson for the Elkann-Agnelli family's holding company explained after recent press articles speculating a possible sale of part of the share package of the Juventus company (which is listed on Piazza Affari).