About us

Agora and "Gazeta Wyborcza" (Election Gazette) were created on the eve of the parliamentary elections in 1989. "Gazeta" became the first independent newspaper in Poland, while Agora grew into one of the largest and most renowned media companies in Poland. Since 1999 Agora's shares have been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Agora's media offer include newspapers and magazines, out-of-home advertising, radio broadcasting, online activities and selling unique collections of books and books with CDs and DVDs.

Agora's flagship business is "Gazeta Wyborcza" - Poland's largest quality daily, which has 4.3 million readers (1) and sells 370 thousand copies every day (2). "Gazeta's" unique formula, which combines a national newspaper with regional pages and thematic supplements, ensures a wide array of topics, quality of information as well as wide reach and extensive advertising possibilities, including dual media offers and non - standard advertising formats. In 2009 "Gazeta's" advertising sales reached PLN 343 million, while its share in the newspaper advertising market was 38% (3).

Agora also publishes free newspaper "Metro", the third most read nationwide daily in Poland (4). Currently, "Metro" is distributed in 444 thousand copies (5) in 18 Polish cities. It is the only free nationwide daily in the Polish newspaper market (6).

Publishing activities of Agora comprise 14 color magazines offering a broad range of topics, from shopping and interior design to culinary, parenting and lifestyle issues. Combined paid circulation of Agora's monthlies in 2009 was 12 million copies (7).

Since August 31, 2010 Agora owns a majority stake in the company Centrum Filmowe Helios S.A. Helios was established in 1993 and due to its dynamic development of its operations by both organic growth and successful acquisitions (including acquisition of the network of 5 multiplex cinemas under Kinoplex brand in 2007), the company became the third largest cinema operator in Poland with the network consisting of 26 cinemas around Poland. In total Helios cinemas offer 140 screens and over 31 thousand seats (8).

Agora is also present in the outdoor advertising by its subsidiary company AMS - one of the leading players in out - of - home advertising. AMS offers a broad array of premium panels, such as backlights, citylights on public transportation shelters, city-scrolls and classic billboards, transit advertising on buses and large format wall-mounted panels on buildings as well as CitiInfoTV panels installed in Warsaw metro cars. In 2009 advertising sales of AMS reached PLN 166 million and its share in the outdoor advertising stood at 27% (9).

Dynamic growth is recorded by the Company's Internet activity. Currently, Agora owns over several dozens of thematic, classified, entertainment and social services belonging to Gazeta.pl Group and are ranked among top players in their categories, inter alia, Gazeta.pl , Wyborcza.pl , Blox.pl and Sport.pl or vortals and classified services. Agora initiates also innovative multimedia services related for example with Internet film series and popularizes content from its Internet services by means of mobile technology. At the end of 2009, total reach of Internet services composing Gazeta.pl Group amounted to 60.8% whereas number of users to 10.5 million users (10) allowing Gazeta.pl Group to become the third portal in Poland.

Radio operations of Agora encompass a group of local radio stations operating under two brands: Golden Hits and Roxy FM, a super - regional, opinion-making news station TOK FM and an Internet radio Tuba.fm with over 30 channels (i.a.: thematic, and authorial channels as well as a music video channel).

The power of Agora's media brands, especially of "Gazeta Wyborcza", determined the success of book collections as well as movie and music series. Currently, apart from the standard activity such as publishing and distribution of book series, the Company operates in new fields such as co - production and distribution of large-screen movies (for example 'Testimony' with its world premiere in Vatican) as well as co - production of cultural events with world celebrities (Woody Allen's concert in Warsaw). In 2009 sales revenues of Special Projects (including book collections) amounted to PLN 80 million (11).

Agora operates also in Ukraine where it launched two subsidiaries Agora Ukraine and Agora Press. In 2008 Agora started first internet projects on the Ukrainian market inter alia: blog platform as well as game, recruitment and gossip portals. In terms of its Ukrainian activity Agora also opened there internet advertising agency AdBroker.

The Group's main objectives in 2010:

•  cost control policy enabling adjustment of the Group's operations to volatile market conditions;

•  development of existing businesses and strengthening the effect of internal synergies to take advantage of Group's multimedia resources and competencies;

•  development and creation of new multimedia competence centers within the Group;

•  ensuring wide distribution and monetization of content created within the Group;

•  taking advantage of the market context to enrich the Group's portfolio of assets.

Long-term strategic goals and growth directions for the Company



(1) Polskie Badania Czytelnictwa, MillwardBrown SMG/KRC, CCS index (weekly readership), Jan-Dec 2009, N=48 848;