BERTRANGE, Luxembourg, Feb. 2, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metro International S.A. ("Metro"), the international newspaper group, today announced that it has launched a third edition in Denmark to cover ten additional cities. 240,000 copies of Metro are now distributed in Denmark each day, further extending Metro's position as the largest newspaper in Denmark. Metro's distribution area covers 5 million people, equivalent to 95% of the country's population. The Danish newspaper net advertising market was estimated to be worth US$ 600 million in 2003.
Metro launched its first Danish edition in the capital city, Copenhagen, in September 2001 and subsequently expanded into the Aarhus region in Eastern Jutland in 2002.
Based on Metro's existing 2.9 readers per copy, the Danish edition will now attract over 700,000 daily readers. The profile of the audience is the same as in other Metro markets with more than 50% of readers under the age of 40 and an equal number of male and female readers.
The new edition has a target circulation of 40,000 copies, which are being distributed by hand and from racks to commuters each morning through the public transport bus and rail system, as well as in office buildings and on college campuses.
"This expansion follows our strategy to take our operations national in countries where there is demand from our advertising clients, which has already been successfully achieved in several Metro markets around the world. The expansion provides Metro with national penetration in Denmark and therefore also provides access to additional advertising revenue streams," commented Pelle Tornberg, President and CEO.
Metro has also been launched in the French city of Lille and the Spanish cities of Alicante and Valencia this morning. Metro is now present in seven Spanish cities and five French cities. In total, today's new editons will result in the distribution of 140,000 additional daily copies of Metro.
Metro is the world's largest newspaper, publishing and distributing 34 Metro editions in 16 countries in Europe, North & South America and Asia. Metro attracts 13 million daily readers in more than 60 cities around the world with an easy to read combination of headline local and international news and information. Metro International S.A. `A' and `B' shares are listed on the Stockholmsborsen `O-List'.
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