ALMA MEDIA OYJ 
By Alma Media Corporation Press release January 24, 2012 at 14.15 (EEST)
PERSONNEL NEGOTIATIONS AT POHJOIS-SUOMEN MEDIA BUSINESS UNIT FINISHED
Pohjois-Suomen Media Oy (Alma Media Northern Media), part of Alma Media Group, has finished the statutory personnel negotiations that started in December 2011. The negotiations affected all employees of the unit.
The negotiations concerned the planned reorganisation of the operations. Through the reorganisation, Pohjois-Suomen Media aims at preparing for the effect of the value-added tax reform on the circulation income from subscription-based newspapers. Additionaly the unit aims to guarantee the viability of its newspapers in future, especially considering the weakened outlook for advertising sales in the Kemi and Kajaani regions.
As a result of the negotiations, the number of employees of Pohjois-Suomen Media is reduced by 9 full-time work years as it was estimated in the beginning of the negotiations. The reduction impacts 9 persons, of whom 3 were laid off, 5,5 work-years will reduce by employment termination agreements and 0,5 work-years by retirement.
Northern Media publishes three regional papers- Lapin Kansa, Pohjolan Sanomat and Kainuun Sanomat -as well as five local or city papers. Northern Media employs approximately 200 people in the Finnish provinces of Lappi and Kainuu.
More information:
Antti Kokkonen, Editor-in-Chief, Pohjois-Suomen Media Oy, tel. +358 10 665 7875.
Alma Media in brief
Alma Media is a dynamic media company whose best-known products are Aamulehti, Iltalehti, Kauppalehti and Etuovi.com. Alma Media employs approximately 2,800 professionals. The company's net sales in 2010 totalled MEUR 311.4 with an operating margin of 13.9 per cent. Alma Media's share (ALN1V) is listed in the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Exchange. Read more at www.almamedia.fi
The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: Alma Media Oyj via Thomson Reuters ONE
