Dutch media tycoonJohn de Mol has used his investment company Talpa to make an official bid for the Telegraaf Media Groep.

Talpa is offering €5.90 per share for the country’s largest media group, the Volkskrant said on Monday. This is well above the joint €5.25 per share bid offered in December by Belgium-based Mediahuis and the Van Puijenbroek family.

Separately, Talpa told the NRC that it hopes to meet with TMG Management very soon. A successful takeover, Talpa said, will result in an ‘independent multimedia company with strong positions in print, radio, television and online content.’

In a press release John de Mol said his bid is to ensure this ‘respected media company will remain Dutch and to further expand it’.

‘I fully believe in TMG as a collection of strong Dutch brands and the potential of this company,’ he said. ‘I think it is a good idea for TMG to return to private hands because I know from experience a bourse-listing limits the flexibility of a company.’

The Talpa offer came a few days after the company increased its TMG stake to 20.15% from 18.4%.

Belgian publishers

Much of the Dutch press is now owned by Belgian publishers. Mediahuis already owns NRC Media (NRC Handelsblad and  NRC.next)  and the Limburger. In Flemish Belgium, Mediahuis publishes  De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad, the Gazet van Antwerpen en the Belang van Limburg.

Another Belgian-owned group Persgroep Nederland publishes Algemene Dagblad, Volkskrant, Trouw and Het Parool.