L'Espresso Group: chronology
Chronology
This chronology is indicative only. Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline.
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1923 Rodolfo de Benedetti founds Compagnia Italiana Tubi Metallici Flessibili
1955 Adriano Olivetti and associates found Nuove Edizioni Romane (NER) and launch L'Espresso
1958 Publietas advertising agency founded
1960 death of Adriano Olivetti
1970 launch of financial supplement L'Espresso Economia & Finanza
1970 launch of Le Scienze monthly as joint venture with Scientific American
1975 publishing company renamed Editoriale L'Espresso
1976 Carlo de Benedetti briefly becomes chief executive of FIAT conglomerate
1976 de Benedetti founds Compagnie Industriali Riunite (CIR) and Compagnia Finanziaria De Benedetti (COFIDE)
1976 launch of la Repubblica as joint venture between Editoriale L'Espresso and Arnoldo Mondadori Editore
1977 Editoriale L'Espresso acquires controlling share in Il Tirreno, Il Mattino di Padova, La Tribuna di Treviso, La Provincia Pavese and La Nuova Sardegna regional and local newspapers
1978 Carlo De Benedetti buys stake in Olivetti and becomes chief executive
1980 L'Espresso buys 50% of advertising company A. Manzoni & C (remaining 50% held jointly by Mondadori and Olivetti)
1983 AT&T buys 25% of Olivetti for US$260m
1984 Editoriale L'Espresso listed on Italian stock exchange
1984 local newspaper La Nuova Venezia founded
1984 incorporation of Finegil, holding company for local newspapers
1985 local daily Il Centro launched as joint venture with Franco Sensi
1985 Finegil buys Genoa daily Il Lavoro and Editoriale Le Gazzette
1985 government quashes Benedetti's acquisition of SME supermarket chain, later bought by Berlusconi
1985 50% of Finegil sold to Mondadori
1985 CIR buys Industrie Buitoni Perugina (IBP)
1986 launch of Repubbica's supplement Affari & Finanza
1987 launch of Repubbica's supplement Il VenerdÏ
1988 IBP sold to Nestlè
1988 CIR makes unsuccessful bid for Belgian group Société Générale
1989 Espresso Group acquires 50% of Radio Deejay
1989 Mondadori takes controlling stake in Editoriale l'Espresso
1990 Manzoni buys Publietas and Mondadori's advertising arm, becoming Italy's largest print advertising concern
1991 clash between Berlusconi and de Benedetti over control of Mondadori - Berlusconi gains control of Mondadori, de Benedetti gains control of new Espresso Group
1991 merger with Cartiera di Ascoli
1991 Editoriale la Repubblica listed on Italian stock exchange
1992 criticism of de Benedetti in connection with 1982 collapse of Banco Ambrosiano
1992 Espresso Group buys Mondadori's stake in Manzoni
1992 buys controlling stake in Rotosud and CPS, printers of L'Espresso and Il VenerdÏ di Repubblica
1992 stake in Radio Deejay increased to 86%
1992 launches monthly magazine Gambero Rosso
1992 buys 16.75% of Portuguese daily Publico
1993 Finegil absorbs local newspaper publishers Editoriale Quotidiani Veneti, Società Editrice Centro Italia and Editoriale Le Gazzette
1994 unsuccessful bid with PRISA and MGN for Independent Newspapers (publisher of The Independent and Independent on Sunday in UK)
1995 launch of Musica, rock & altro! and Salute supplements to la Repubblica
1996 launch of supplement la Repubblica delle
1996 Finegil mergers with Editoriale Il Tirreno
1996 de Benedetti sells 20.6% stake in auto-parts maker Valeo for US$1.17bn
1996 repubblica.it site launched
1997 L'Espresso buys Radio Capital, proprietor of Radio Capital Music network
1997 stake in Radio Deejay increased to 100%
1997 launch of la Repubblica's weekly travel supplement Viaggi
1998 merger of Editoriale la Repubblica, Editrice Periodici Culturali and Editoriale L'Espresso
1998 Editoriale L'Espresso changes its corporate title to Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso
1998 buys majority stake in NCE-Newco Edit, which controls Il Piccolo and Il Messaggero Veneto
1998 launches Italian edition of National Geographic
1998 acquires 100% of Italia Radio, which merges with Radio DeeJay and Radio Capital as Elemedia
1999 founds web publishing and e-commerce solutions business Kataweb
2000 Unicredito banking group takes 5% stake
2000 Ele TV founded
2000 Finegil Editoriale buys 35% of Piacenza daily newspaper Libertà
2001 L'Espresso buys Hungarian broadcaster DL-AMS (Budapest station 92.9 Star Radio)