The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS LOWER SAXONY
©THE JAPAN TIMES	Thursday, January 24, 2002

Founder's vision becomes a media revolution

Verlagsgessellschaft Madsack started back in 1892 as a traditional newspaper company, but its founder's vision has become the basis for its present multimedia platform. Building on the company's pioneering spirit, August Madsack inaugurated the new corporate headquarters in Hanover in 1928.

The building, the city's first skyscraper, was a nine-story structure with a domed roof, which was supposed to symbolize that world being brought to Lower Saxony's capital city. Since then, Madsack has mastered information-dissemination in all forms for the people of Lower Saxony. Its product portfolio includes the traditional newsstand editions Hannoverche Allgemeine, Neue Presse, Wolfsburger Allgemeine, as well as other publications for the state's major cities and towns. Madsack delivers free editions supported by advertising revenue direct to households all over the state. The company also has publications supported almost entirely by newsstand revenues, in which people can publish classified ads for free.

Dr. Friedhelm Haak cites Madsack's independence as its operating backbone.

Recently, Madsack published a chronicle on Hanover Expo 2000 called the Expo Journal -- a compilation of Expo 2000 specials that ran in the Neue Presse and Hannoversche Allgemeine during the fair that year.

The next phase of development brought Madsack into broadcast media. "In 1984, with federal legislation deregulating the broadcast industry, it was time for private radio and private TV," explained Dr. Friedhelm Haak, chairman of the company's management board. "We had a chance to participate in radio development, and now we have minority shares in eight radio stations."

With a television company composed of 150 people, Madsack is also able to broadcast special events and closed-circuit TV productions. "The business TV channel sponsored by Volkswagen is produced by us through TVIS, which has had a contract with Volkswagen for about four years now," said Haak, regarding the partnership with Lower Saxony's biggest business.

Madsack also serves as an outsourcing company for local radio stations that cannot afford to invest in a lot of equipment for special event broadcasts. "We are bringing our equipment to the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in February 2002, where we will serve as an international radio station to transmit from there to Germany."

In an age when information is constantly in demand, Madsack has brought its service up to 21st century standards. "Everything you find in our publications, you can also find on our Web sites," Haak commented. "We provide a 24-hour service that everybody can take part in. Print will still be the main business, but you will also have your virtual copy and virtual market." With this multimedia package, Madsack has kept to its original ideals and principles -- true to the spirit of its founder. "We are an independent company with no political links to anybody," he affirmed. "We are obligated to be very honest with our customers. In any variety of media, not just print media, people can trust us."

The company oversees global operations from its landmark headquarters in Hanover.

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