Corsica Maritima (CM) Holding, a consortium of 150 Corsican companies, has sold 49% of the capital of Corse-Presse to La Provence Group, the publishing company of the regional daily Corse-Mattin, now 100% owned by the Marseille Group. . Learned Tuesday with the CEO of La Provence.
“We now have 100% shares in Corse-Presse,” Jean-Christophe Serfati, CEO of Corse-Presse and La Provence, told AFP. Confirming information from France 3 Via Stella.
In a letter on Tuesday and sent to the staff of Corse-Matin that the AFP was able to consult, Jean-Christophe Cerfati announced that since Monday evening “Group La Provence has become the sole shareholder of the group Corse Presse”.
Contacted by AFP, a union source from Corse-Matin said it “welcomes with satisfaction” the newspaper’s clarification of the situation.
Last June, the CM Holding consortium, which had acquired a stake in the newspaper in 2018, 100% owned by La Provence until then, indicated in a press release that the daily was considering a “return from the island’s capital”. Do it.
In particular, without citing it, referring to an article in Le Canard Enchane published on 16 June and titled “The Strange Consortium that Lays Law in Corsica”, CM Holding indicated that it was “as a member”. does not accept to be considered “a system oligarchy”, ensuring that the “group has no connection to the criminal world”.
“Our goal has never been to control the press, but only to save the 220 jobs that the Kors-Mattin newspaper represents on the island. Since 2018, we are only a minority shareholder and we control nothing. do not”, assured the consortium.
“We remain vigilant and expect any shareholder to commit themselves to protecting the interests of all Corse-Presse employees and maintaining work equipment,” he said. The Corse-Matin union source added on Tuesday night.
At the same time Tuesday, the holding company of ship owner CMA CGM and businessman Xavier Neil, NJJ, submitted an offer to buy back 89% of the shares held by the Bernard Tapie Group in the regional press group La Provence, which owns Marseille. . The daily of the same name and now Corse-Matin.
According to statistics from the Alliance for Press and Media, the paid circulation of Corse-Matin averages 25,000 daily copies.