Herttaässä to raise its holding in Alma Media to 10 % in forward trade

ALMA MEDIA CORP.           STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT 17 JULY 2006, 2.OO P.M. 1 (1)

 

HERTTAÄSSÄ TO RAISE ITS HOLDING IN ALMA MEDIA TO 10 % IN FORWARD TRADE

 

The company has received information to the effect that Oy Herttaässä Ab’s (business ID 0761658-8) holding in Alma Media Corporation will reach one tenth (1/10) of the company’s share capital and voting rights in a forward trade concluded on 14 July 2006, maturing on 15 December 2006. Pursuant to Securities Act, Chapter 2, Section 10, we inform that:

 

Oy Herttaässä Ab’s holding on 14 July 2006:

 

3 817 413 shares, share of share capital and voting rights 5.12 %

 

Oy Herttaässä Ab’s forward trade on 14 July 2006:

 

3 644 000 shares, share of share capital and voting rights 4.88 %

 

Oy Herttaässä Ab’s holding after the forward trade has matured:

 

7 461 413 shares, share of share capital and voting rights 10.00 %

 

Alma Media Corporation’s (business ID 1944757-4) share capital is EUR 44 767 513.80 and it is divided into 74 612 523 shares. The company has one series of shares. Each share entitles to one voting right. The total number of voting rights is 74 612 523.

 

ALMA MEDIA CORPORATION

 

Terhi Lambert-Karjalainen

Communications Manager

 

DISTRIBUTION: OMX Helsinki Exchanges, principal media

 

Alma Media is a Finnish media group that publishes newspapers, produces and distributes economic information, and maintains online marketplaces. The Group’s portfolio contains business, afternoon, regional, local and town papers. Alma Media also owns leading online marketplaces, a business that it is expanding into markets outside Finland.

 

Alma Media’s best known products are the Aamulehti, Iltalehti and Kauppalehti papers and the Etuovi.com home-buying Internet service. The Group derives about half of its net sales from media advertising and roughly 40 % from newspaper circulation revenues. Net sales of continuing operations in 2005 amounted to MEUR 286, generating an operating profit of MEUR 42 or an operating margin of 14.8 %. The company’s share is quoted on the Main List of the Helsinki Exchanges. More information at http://www.almamedia.fi/home.