Sme (stylized as SME) or Denník Sme (lit. 'We are "Daily') is one of the widely-read mainstream broadsheets in Slovakia. Its website is one of the most-visited internet portals in Slovakia.[2]

Ownership status

In June 2016, the Antimonopoly Office approved the transaction of the investment group Penta.[3] At the end of 2017, represented by the company News and Media Holding,[4] Penta decreased to 40% after the latter company sold a five percent share in the share capital to the majority owner Prvá slovenská investičná skupina.[5] The transaction of Penta financial group was announced on 22 April 2021.[6]

History

Founded in mid-January 1993, Sme is published six times a week by Petit Press.[7] The sister newspapers of SME include The Slovak Spectator, Új Szó, Korzár and various regional My noviny newspapers[8]

Its circulation was 76,590 copies in December 2006, 53,000 in 2011, 62,890 copies in September 2012,[9] and 32,853 in January 2015 [10]

In 2014, Namav, a subject subvenced by the Penta Investments group, announced the purchase of Petit Press, the publisher of the newspaper. In reaction, a major part of the editorial board, including the editor-in-chief, announced their resignation. Matúš Kostolný, the departing editor-in-chief, stated: "We are leaving SME and we will try to create a new medium that no one will suspect that it serves someone other than the readers".[11]

Six years after the hostile takeover, Penta Investments group left Petit Press in 2021.[12][13]

References

  1. ^ Sme, eurotopics, archived from the original on 25 April 2016, retrieved 25 April 2016
  2. ^ "Top Sites in Slovakia". Alexa Internet. Archived from the original on 25 November 2018.
  3. ^ Valček, Adam (17 June 2018). "Úrad Pente odsúhlasil vstup do vydavateľstva Petit Press". SME (in Slovak). Bratislava: Petit Press. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  4. ^ "News and Media Holding". Penta Investments (in Slovak). Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Denník Sme oslavuje 25 rokov". Hospodárske noviny (in Slovak). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  6. ^ "MDIF purchases a 34% stake in leading Slovak publisher Petit Press". MDIF. 22 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021.
  7. ^ Miroslav Kollar; Tomáš Czwitkowics. "Mapping digital media: Slovakia" (PDF). Open Society Foundation.
  8. ^ "Petit Press" (in Slovak). Petit Press. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Inzercia SME". Petit Press. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  10. ^ "Sme, Trend a ďalší v januári klesli na historické minimum" (in Slovak).
  11. ^ "Penta se nedala odradit. Vstoupila do slovenského deníku Sme" (in Czech). Aktuálně.cz. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  12. ^ "MDIF purchases a 34% stake in leading Slovak publisher Petit Press – MDIF". Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Penta financial group leaves Petit Press six years after hostile takeover". The Slovak Spectator. Bratislava: Petit Press. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2022.

External links