The Belgian media concern De Persgroep is close to buying AD Nieuwsmedia, according to anonymous sources in Tuesday’s Financieele Dagblad.

AD Nieuwsmedia, which publishes national newspaper Algemene Dagblad and regional papers Utrechts Nieuwsblad and Haagsche Courant, is jointly owned by publishing group PCM and regional publishers Wegener.
The sources told the FD the deal entails Wegener selling its 37% share in AD Nieuwsmedia to PCM and PCM then selling the company to De Persgroep.
Negotiations are under way on the way in which the Belgians will attract advertising in the Netherlands, where they will print the papers and how they will be distributed. says the FD.
De Persgroep already owns the Dutch music station Q-music and Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool. CEO Christian van Thillo is known for his rigorous cost-cutting which saw a quarter of Parool journalists made redundant.
AD Nieuwsmedia returned to profit in 2007, albeit a small one. It is now struggling with the economic downturn and the weak advertising market.