overview

holdings

chronology

     landmarks

This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.

1923 Rodolfo de Benedetti founds Compagnia Italiana Tubi Metallici Flessibili

1955 Adriano Olivetti and associates found Nuove Edizioni Romane (NER) and launch L'Espresso

1958 Publietas advertising agency founded

1960 death of Adriano Olivetti

1970 launch of financial supplement L'Espresso Economia & Finanza

1970 launch of Le Scienze monthly as joint venture with Scientific American

1975 publishing company renamed Editoriale L'Espresso

1976 Carlo de Benedetti briefly becomes chief executive of FIAT conglomerate

1976 de Benedetti founds Compagnie Industriali Riunite (CIR) and Compagnia Finanziaria De Benedetti (COFIDE)

1976 launch of la Repubblica as joint venture between Editoriale L'Espresso and Arnoldo Mondadori Editore

1977 Editoriale L'Espresso acquires controlling share in Il Tirreno, Il Mattino di Padova, La Tribuna di Treviso, La Provincia Pavese and La Nuova Sardegna regional and local newspapers

1978 Carlo De Benedetti buys stake in Olivetti and becomes chief executive

1980 L'Espresso buys 50% of advertising company A. Manzoni & C (remaining 50% held jointly by Mondadori and Olivetti)

1983 AT&T buys 25% of Olivetti for US$260m

1984 Editoriale L'Espresso listed on Italian stock exchange

1984 local newspaper La Nuova Venezia founded

1984 incorporation of Finegil, holding company for local newspapers

1985 local daily Il Centro launched as joint venture with Franco Sensi

1985 Finegil buys Genoa daily Il Lavoro and Editoriale Le Gazzette

1985 government quashes Benedetti's acquisition of SME supermarket chain, later bought by Berlusconi

1985 50% of Finegil sold to Mondadori

1985 CIR buys Industrie Buitoni Perugina (IBP)

1986 launch of Repubbica's supplement Affari & Finanza

1987 launch of Repubbica's supplement Il VenerdÏ

1988 IBP sold to Nestlè

1988 CIR makes unsuccessful bid for Belgian group Société Générale

1989 Espresso Group acquires 50% of Radio Deejay

1989 Mondadori takes controlling stake in Editoriale l'Espresso

1990 Manzoni buys Publietas and Mondadori's advertising arm, becoming Italy's largest print advertising concern

1991 clash between Berlusconi and de Benedetti over control of Mondadori - Berlusconi gains control of Mondadori, de Benedetti gains control of new Espresso Group

1991 merger with Cartiera di Ascoli

1991 Editoriale la Repubblica listed on Italian stock exchange

1992 criticism of de Benedetti in connection with 1982 collapse of Banco Ambrosiano

1992 Espresso Group buys Mondadori's stake in Manzoni

1992 buys controlling stake in Rotosud and CPS, printers of L'Espresso and Il VenerdÏ di Repubblica

1992 stake in Radio Deejay increased to 86%

1992 launches monthly magazine Gambero Rosso

1992 buys 16.75% of Portuguese daily Publico

1993 Finegil absorbs local newspaper publishers Editoriale Quotidiani Veneti, Società Editrice Centro Italia and Editoriale Le Gazzette

1994 unsuccessful bid with PRISA and MGN for Independent Newspapers (publisher of The Independent and Independent on Sunday in UK)

1995 launch of Musica, rock & altro! and Salute supplements to la Repubblica

1996 launch of supplement la Repubblica delle

1996 Finegil mergers with Editoriale Il Tirreno

1996 de Benedetti sells 20.6% stake in auto-parts maker Valeo for US$1.17bn

1996 repubblica.it site launched

1997 L'Espresso buys Radio Capital, proprietor of Radio Capital Music network

1997 stake in Radio Deejay increased to 100%

1997 launch of la Repubblica's weekly travel supplement Viaggi

1998 merger of Editoriale la Repubblica, Editrice Periodici Culturali and Editoriale L'Espresso

1998 Editoriale L'Espresso changes its corporate title to Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso

1998 buys majority stake in NCE-Newco Edit, which controls Il Piccolo and Il Messaggero Veneto

1998 launches Italian edition of National Geographic

1998 acquires 100% of Italia Radio, which merges with Radio DeeJay and Radio Capital as Elemedia

1999 founds web publishing and e-commerce solutions business Kataweb

2000 Unicredito banking group takes 5% stake

2000 Ele TV founded

2000 Finegil Editoriale buys 35% of Piacenza daily newspaper Libertà

2001 L'Espresso buys Hungarian broadcaster DL-AMS (Budapest station 92.9 Star Radio)

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