BERTRANGE, Luxembourg, June 11, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metro International S.A. ("Metro") (Nasdaq:MTROA) (Nasdaq:MTROB), the international newspaper group, today announced that its rival free newspaper publisher in Denmark has been ordered to raise its prices by The Danish Competition Authority. Metro's Danish operation, MetroXpress, lodged a complaint with the Authority on 21 September 2001 concerning anti-competitive pricing by the competitor, which had offered advertising discounts at levels below average cost price.
The Authority made its decision on 29 May 2002 and found that the competitor had abused its dominant position in the Copenhagen newspaper advertising sales market through its relationship to the Orkla local media group. The competitor has consequently been ordered to raise its prices to the same level as those of MetroXpress.
Denmark is a member of the European Union and this decision therefore makes it possible for Metro to launch similar actions in other European Union countries.
Despite the predatory pricing of its competitor, MetroXpress has established itself as the clear market leader in Denmark. According to the latest official research from Index Denmark, MetroXpress currently has over 316,000 readers in the Greater Copenhagen area alone; 90,000 more readers than its only free daily rival. The results of the survey consolidated MetroXpress' position as the most read newspaper in the Greater Copenhagen area amongst people under the age of 50.
The edition extended its distribution to cover Denmark's second largest city, Aarhus, and the Eastern part of Jutland in April 2002. With this expansion, Metro now covers 70% of Denmark, which has a US$ 480 million annual national newspaper advertising market. The success of MetroXpress in its first seven months enabled the funding of this expansion within the original budget for the Copenhagen edition.
For further information, please visit www.metro.lu, email info@metro.lu or contact: Pelle Tornberg, President & CEO tel: +44 (0) 20 7408 0230 Matthew Hooper, Investor & Press Relations tel: +44 (0) 20 7321 5010
Metro is the world's largest free newspaper, publishing and distributing 23 editions in 15 countries in 13 languages: Stockholm (Metro), Prague (Metro), Gothenburg (Metro), Hungary (Metro), the Netherlands (Metro), Helsinki (Metro), Malmo (Metro), Santiago (Publimetro), Philadelphia (Metro), Toronto (Metro Today), Rome (Metro), Milan (Metro), Warsaw (Metropol), Athens (Metrorama), Montreal (Metro), Barcelona (Metro Directe), Boston (Metro), Madrid (Metro Directo), Copenhagen (MetroXpress), Paris (Metro), Marseille (Metro), Lyon (Metro) and Hong Kong (Metropolis Daily).
Metro International S.A. 'A' and 'B' shares are listed on the NASDAQ National Market and on the Stockholmsborsen O-List under the symbols MTROA and MTROB.
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