Tisak Plus terminated its contracts regulating the distribution and sale of print media, commission-based sales, intercity transport of newspapers, and waste paper collection as of January 31, the Croatian Employers’ Association – Association of Newspaper Publishers (UNI) confirmed to Hina.
“As of February 1, the distribution and sale of newspapers is expected to be carried out by the company Distribucija tiskanih medija d.o.o., and publishers are expected to sign contracts with the new distributor by the end of the week. The search for a long-term and sustainable solution for the distribution and sale of newspapers is still ongoing,” the Association stated.
According to unofficial sources, the new company, Distribucija tiskanih medija d.o.o., is only a temporary solution for publishers after Tisak announced in late November last year that it would stop distributing newspapers to over 3,000 locations throughout Croatia.
“Tisak will continue to sell print publications, but we have informed our partners that we can no longer provide distribution services. Until now, we have been distributing various printed publications to a vast network of over 3,000 locations in Croatia, which far exceeds the number of Tisak’s own retail outlets,” the company said in a statement last November.
Tisak emphasized that distribution is not part of its core business but acknowledged the importance of ensuring access to printed media and keeping the public informed.
“We believe this activity would be more suitable for economic entities primarily focused on distribution. We are certainly willing to share our extensive knowledge and experience in this specific type of distribution with interested parties to enable the continuation of this important service,” they added.
On the other hand, the Association of Newspaper Publishers confirmed to Hina that it was indeed Tisak who terminated the long-standing cooperation.
“Tisak ended the contract with the publishers. We are currently in negotiations with a new partner who will take over distribution after the termination period expires,” UNI said at the time.
At the end of last year, Hrvatska pošta (Croatian Post) was mentioned as a potential new distribution partner, and the possibility was publicly endorsed by Hrvoje Zovko, President of the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND).
“The HND’s position — which we discussed with the Ministry of Culture and Media — is that the state has an obligation under the still-valid Media Act to support media pluralism and diversity. We see newspaper distribution via Croatian Post, a public company, as the only viable solution,” Zovko said.
However, Croatian Post has yet to officially comment on whether they are willing to take over the distribution of newspapers published in Croatia.