| overview
holdings
landmarks
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landmarks
This chronology is indicative only, dealing with Kinnevik,
Modern Times Group and Metro.
It covers -
Context
is provided by the broader communications and media timeline
on this site.
beginnings
1936 Robert von Horn, Wilhelm Klingspor and Hugo Stenbeck
form Aktiebolaget Kinnevik with stakes in Mellersta Sveriges
Lantbruks AB, AB Lidköpings Konfektyr Industri and
Korsnäs Sågverks AB
1937 Kinnevik buys chocolate manufacturer Nordiska Suchard
and iron foundry Halmstads Järnverk
1954 lists as Investment AB Kinnevik
1984 electronics group Techvik AB
1985 Kinnevik becomes Industriförvaltnings AB Kinnevik
1985 launches satellite system for TV distribution
moves into media
1986 founds Tele2
1987 launches local cable-tv networks are launched
1987 Kinnevik begins publishing magazines, including Z
monthly
1987 TV3 launched in Sweden as Scandinavia's first commercial
tv channel
1988 TV3 broadcasting extended to Denmark and Norway
1988 Strix launches independent tv production
1989 launch of pay-tv channel TV1000 and TV-Shop
1990 acquisition of majority shareholding in Svensk Text
(SDI Media)
1991 TV4 granted license as Sweden's third terrestrial
tv station
1991 Kinnevik acquires 30% shareholding in TV4
1991 launch of Viasat DTH satellite pay-tv platform
1993 P4 Radio Hele Norge receives national commercial
radio broadcasting license in Norway
1993 first commercial radio licenses obtained in Sweden
1993 TV3 commences Teletext broadcasting
1993 terrestrial tv channels launched in Estonia and Lithuania
1994 TV4 becomes largest channel in Sweden
1994 launch of TV6 launched
1994 Kinnevik restructured around Korsnäs Holding
AB (packaging and packaging materials), Modern Times Group
MTG AB (TV and media), NetCom Systems AB (telecommunications)
and Investment AB Kinnevik (other operations)
Metro
1995 MTG incorporated as Kinnevik subsidiary
1995 launch of Metro in Stockholm
1995 MTG gains minority holding acquired in Finanstidningen
daily business newspaper
1996 Satellite tv distribution platform switched from
Astra to NSAB
1996 RIX FM radio network formed through mergers
1996 ZTV and TV6 merged to form 3+ in Denmark
1996 MTG Publishing AB created as holding company for
Metro free newspaper operations outside Nordic countries
1997 Shares in MTG distributed to Kinnevik shareholders
and listed on Stockholm Börsinformation and Nasdaq
in New York
1997 launch of Metro edition in Prague
1998 TV3 acquires TV channel in Latvia
1998 acquires three Estonian radio stations (covering
Tallinn, Tartu and Pärnu)
1998 commercial radio operations launched in Latvia
1998 MTG buys majority stake in subtitling and dubbing
company Media Watchers Group (founded in 1991, operating
in Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan)
1998 increases stake in Swedish financial daily FinansTidningen
1998 Metro launched in Gothenburg and Budapest
1999 Metro launched in Malmö, Helsinki and
the Netherlands
1999 monthly magazine Kapital launched in Sweden
1999 MTG acquires Swedish business channel TV8
1999
acquires 20% stake in Swedish news agency Nyhetsbyrån
FLT
1999 Metro International S.A. incorporated in Luxembourg
as a holding company for all Metro operations
2000 Annual General Meeting approves distribution of Metro
International S.A. share capital to MTG shareholders
expansion into eastern Europe
2000 Metro editions launched in Chile, Philadelphia,
Toronto, Rome, Milan, Poland, Athens
2000 Metro launched in Zurich
2000 Viasat3 begins broadcasting in Hungary
2000 PIN24 launches on Sky TV's
platform in UK
2001 TV3 awarded national terrestrial broadcasting license
in Latvia
2001 Digital home-shopping channel PIN24 launched in Denmark
2001 MTG acquires 75% of Russian national commercial TV
channel
2001 Viasat launches four new digital pay-TV channels
in Nordic region
2001 Metro editions launched in Montreal, Barcelona,
Boston, Madrid, Copenhagen
2002 MTG acquires 37% of StoryFirst Communications, Inc.
and of Lugna Favoriter and WOW 105.5 Swedish radio stations
2002 launch of PIN24 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
2002 launch of Tango TV in Lithuania
2002 closure of Zurich Metro
2002 merger of daily financial paper Finanstidningen
and newly acquired weekly Vision as Finans
Vision
2002 closure of monthly current affairs magazine Moderna
Tider and Kapital business magazine
2002 Metro editions launched in Paris, Marseille,
Lyon, Hong Kong, Aarhus, Seoul
2003 Metro editions launched in Zaragoza, Seville,
La Coruña, Pusan
2003 MTG sells ECL logistics subsidiary to Tradimus AB
2003 launch of Pay-TV-channels TV 1000 and Viasat Explorer
in Eastern and Central Europe
2003 closure of Finans Vision
2004 MTG sells SDI Media to private equity group Warburg
Pincus for US$60m
2004 MetroXpress
(national edition) launched in Denmark
2004 Metro editions launched in Toulouse, Valencia,
Alicante, Bordeaux, New York, Lisbon and Lille
2005 Metro sells 49% stake in daily Metro Boston
to New York Times for US$16.5m
2005 Metro editions launched in Rennes, Nantes, Strasbourg
2005 Metro, Torstar and CanWest
launch Metro in Vancouver and Ottawa
2007 closure of Metropol (Poland)
2007 Metro edition in Sao Paulo, Brazil
2007 Metro and Torstar buy CanWest
stake in Metro Ottawa and Vancouver
2008 Metro International sells 35% stake in its free Swedish
newspaper to Schibsted for
£30m, with Schibsted's Aftonbladet closing its Punkt
SE free
newspaper
2008 sells 24.5% of Metro Denmark to Jyllands Posten/Politiken,
publisher of free daily 24timer
2008 Publimetro Chile buys 35% of SUBTV, Chilean commuter
tv ad service
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Caslon