DAPD News Agency
Line
- Ulrich end, the last Managing Director
- Dirk von Borstel, last chief editor ( Photo )
- Frank Brandmaier, last managing editor text
The DAPD news agency was a news agency founded in September 2010 with its headquarters in Berlin. It was created from the former German news agency Depeschendienst and the German service of the American news agency Associated Press (AP). Owners were financial investors Vorderwülbecke Martin and Peter Löw, founder of the Luxembourg investment company bluO. Managing director and chief editor was up to October 2, 2012 Corduroy Dreyer. The company went public on February 1, 2013 following a first bankruptcy of 2 October 2012 in the DAPD news agency Beteiligungs GmbH, which continued the business operations of eight DAPD insolvent companies. CEO Ulrich was the end. On March 1, 2013, the DAPD news agency reported again for bankruptcy and put on 11 April 2013, their service.
According to the company, the service had in April 2012, a strain of 700 customers and set daily ready up to 850 messages and 2,500 photos. Her customers included, in addition to German newspapers, journals and magazines, online media, TV and radio stations and parties and governments, companies, institutions and associations. The agency offered from 1 August 2011, a private sports service and was so in addition to Deutsche Presse-Agentur ( dpa ), the second news agency with full offer in Germany. On 2 October 2012, the DAPD to file for bankruptcy. Employees and the public were completely surprised by the step. Published after the end of November 2012 insolvency plan lost 98 permanent employees of DAPD their jobs. In connection with the bankruptcy also the exclusive contract with AP was lost. In addition, the sport - based service has been discontinued.
On April 11, 2013, the insolvency administrator said that the operation of the Agency will set on the same day by 17 clock. Providing the customer with messages, images, graphics and videos ended on that date.
History
In December 2009, took over the ddp media holding AG, now renamed HQTA AG, the German service of the American news agency AP and initially called him in DAPD German foreign Depeschendienst ( DAPD ) around. On 1 July 2010, the DAPD showed in a press conference, the revamped website dapd.de the new corporate design and presented at the same time the DAPD news planner as an editorial tool. In September 2010, then started a new joint service of the two previous individual agencies.
In July 2011 it was announced that the company bought the loss-making French photo agency Sipa Press of pharmaceutical and media magnate Pierre Fabre. Göksin Sipahioğlu founded in 1973 Sipa Press. The Agency should Agence France-Presse ( AFP) to compete.
In January 2012 it was announced that DAPD wanted to start their own news agency in France, as a direct competitor to the market leader Agence France-Presse ( AFP). Among the 60 Sipa employees also 35 text journalists should come. In June 2012, joined a few months before the launch of the new service longtime AFP chief editor Jean -Luc Testault to Sipa -Press.
April 1, 2012 acquired DAPD Gruner Jahr, the Agency Picture Press, at the same time a long-term cooperation in the syndication business for the German market has been agreed.
Controversies
The NDR Zapp media magazine reported in February 2012 critically about leadership and business methods of the agency.
DAPD was also supplying the Federal Press Office with news. The by the Federal Press Office price paid amounted to 1.6 million euros annually.
In addition, DAPD was supplying the Foreign Office. Dpa competitors who had carried out this mission previously without a public tender, had unsuccessfully defended in court against the tender.
Holding and sister companies
To HQTA AG belonged to December 2012, the communications service provider ddp direct GmbH. , Which supports approximately 1,200 clients with their PR activities, as well as the press photo agency ddp images GmbH. On October 1, 2013 ddp direct went bankrupt. In April 2010, the holding company acquired a majority stake in Munich Airmotion, a company specializing in web content B2B provider. 2011, the French Agency SIPA -Press was acquired.
Insolvency
On 2 October 2012, the company branches DAPD news agency DAPD reported news and insolvency in possession of. For six other companies in the DAPD Group for the same step for the October 4, 2012 it was announced ( DAPD correspondence and research GmbH, DAPD International Service GmbH, DAPD Sport GmbH, dfd Photo Service GmbH, DAPD video GmbH and the News and Media Service Exclusive GmbH.) The DAPD Media Holding AG and other 18 associated companies are not affected. Cord Dreyer also resigned his position as CEO. In October 2012, the DAPD media holding AG renamed in HQTA AG. On December 5, 2012, the ordinary insolvency proceedings on the DAPD news agency, as well as 6 other subsidiaries of the agency group was opened. On March 1, 2013, the DAPD news agency Beteiligungs GmbH presented at the district court in Berlin- Charlottenburg to file for bankruptcy. On April 11, at 17 clock, the operation was discontinued.