Socpresse

Socpresse was a French corporation which controlled the conservative daily newspaper Le Figaro, the weekly magazine L'Express, 40% of the weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Valeurs Actuelles, and the football club FC Nantes. The company was acquired by the Dassault in September 2006. Before that date, 13% of the shares belonged to Aude Ruettard, the granddaughter of Robert Hersant. After the acquisition, Dassault sold off most of the company, retaining Le Figaro.

In total, the Socpresse group owned about 70 newspapers. A partial list includes:

• Le Bien Public (via Société Delaroche, a fully owned subsidiary)
• Le Maine Libre (via société d'exploitation du Maine Libre, a 99% owned subsidiary)
• Nord Matin (via the 98% owned subsidiary Presse Nord)
• La Voix du Nord, Nord Eclair, Nord Littoral, L'avenir de l'Artois, L'Indépendant du Pas de Calais
• Le Courrier de l'Ouest

Socpresse also owned 27% of the newspaper company Est Républicain, a company that controls La Liberté de l'Est, Le Journal de la Haute-Marne, Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, Le Journal de la Haute-Marne. It had a 49% ownership stake in the local TV station TV Nantes Atlantique; and also owns the web sites sport24.com and evene.fr.