Increase in share capital recorded in Trade Register

ALMA MEDIA CORP.  STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT 15 APRIL 2005, 11.00   1 (1)

 

INCREASE IN SHARE CAPITAL RECORDED IN TRADE REGISTER

 

Warrants under the 1999 bond with warrants were exercised to subscribe for 390,696 new Series II shares between 23 March 2005 and 11 April 2005, raising the share capital by EUR 164,275.88. The increase in share capital was recorded in the Trade Register on 15 April 2005. The new shares will be admitted for trading on 18 April 2005.

 

The share capital increase now registered is based on the issue of bonds with warrants to company employees approved by the Annual General Meeting held on 24 March 1999. The bond totalled 1 220 000 Finnish markka (EUR 205,189.27) and 1,211,284 shares may still be subscribed for under the attached A and B warrants. The maximum number of new shares that may be subscribed for under these warrants represents 1.89 percent of the total number of shares and 0.41 percent of the votes.

 

According to the resolution of the Board of Directors of Alma Media made pursuant to the terms of the warrant program, the holders of the warrants have the right to subscribe for shares until 30 June 2005, after which any right of subscription shall be forfeited. The change has been made due to the divestment of the Broadcasting division.

 

The current share subscription prices under the warrants are EUR 4.75 for the A warrant and EUR 5.58 for the B warrant.

 

Number of shares and votes after the subscription:

 

 

The share capital following the increase totals EUR 26,972,699.74. Under the bond with warrants to employees the share capital has so far been raised by EUR 516,637.99.

 

 

The new shares carry dividend rights for the financial year 2005.

 

ALMA MEDIA CORPORATION

 

Terhi Lambert

Communications Manager

 

DISTRIBUTION: Helsinki Exchanges, principal media

 

Alma Media is a leading Finnish media corporation. Its core businesses are newspaper publishing and printing, the publishing and distributing of financial information, television and radio broadcasting, and classified services. Alma Media publishes more than thirty newspapers which have an estimated total of more than two million readers. The Group’s subscribed newspapers have an aggregate circulation of approximately 600,000 copies. Alma Media’s television channels reach three million Finns daily, or 65 % of all television viewers in the country. Roughly two-thirds of the Group’s revenue comes from media sales and the remainder from newspaper circulation income and charges for various media services. Alma Media products account for some 28 % of all media expenditure in Finland. The Group’s net sales in 2004 totalled EUR 465 million.

Its shares are traded on the Helsinki Exchanges: the trading code of the Series I share is ALM1V and of the Series II share ALM2V.