NOZ/mh:n MEDIEN vs VNP – Verlag Nürnberger Presse

Generationswechsel und neue Doppelspitze bei den Verlagen der NOZ/mh:n-Gruppe im nördlichen Niedersachsen

NOZ/mh:n-Gruppe has announced a leadership transition across its publishing locations in northern Lower Saxony effective November 1, 2026. Helmut Loerts-Sabin retired at age 70 from operational business at BruneMettcker in Wilhelmshaven, with Thorsten Schulze and Falk Lindemann stepping in as co-managing directors. The duo will bundle management responsibilities across sites in Norden, Weener, and Wilhelmshaven to leverage group-wide synergies and technological modernization.

• Helmut Loerts-Sabin retired from operational management at publisher BruneMettcker at age 70.
• Effective November 1, 2026, Thorsten Schulze and Falk Lindemann took over as co-managing directors at Medienhaus Brune Mettcker GmbH.
• Thorsten Schulze additionally joined management at H. Risius Verlag GmbH & Co. KG in Weener alongside Falk Lindemann.

NOZ/mh:n Cleared to Acquire Zeitungsgruppe Ostfriesland

The German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) has approved the planned acquisition of the regional newspaper group Zeitungsgruppe Ostfriesland (ZGO) by the media group NOZ/mh:n from Osnabrück. This is part of NOZ/mh:n's strategy to strengthen its position in the German media market. The article is largely paywalled, with only the headline and lead paragraph available. The approval marks a significant consolidation in the regional newspaper sector, potentially affecting advertising markets in the Ostfriesland region.

NOZ/mh:n-Gruppe verdoppelt wöchentliche Digital-Abo-Bestellungen

By optimizing user guidance on its dynamic paywall, German regional publishing group NOZ/mh:n-Gruppe doubled its weekly digital subscription orders to around 600 within eight weeks. The growth was driven by doubling the click-through rate while maintaining a constant conversion rate through reduced paywall complexity and ad suppression. For the coming year, the publisher aims to increase Plus growth from 12% to 19% and nearly double paid content revenue over the next five years.

• Weekly digital subscription orders doubled to approximately 600 within an eight-week optimization period.
• Around 90% of all new subscriptions are generated via local editorial content, with 2,500 sales across 1,400 distinct articles in August alone.
• Paywall optimizations included shifting focus to an annual subscription, adjusting the first-month entry price to one euro, and suppressing all ads when the paywall is active.