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Local social network expanding: Telegraaf buys Hyves

Last week, the popular Dutch social network site Hyves was bought by one of the largest Dutch media groups Telegraaf Media Group (TMG). TMG is particularly known for its daily mainstream newspaper De Telegraaf but also owns other publications, websites and radio stations. Hyves and several parts of TMG already collaborated on projects in the past. Whilst looking for new cross media marketing options, TMG emphasises that “Hyves will remain Hyves”, not changing its character or identity.

In the Netherlands, Hyves is more popular than Facebook. It recently launched Hyves Mobile, allowing Hyves Mobile Friends to call and text each other for free. The transaction by TMG has started discussions on whether such coexistence is sustainable for the long run in a country as small as the Netherlands. The CEO of Hyves sees Facebook and Hyves as complementary due to the latter’s local relevance.

It is said that the total online network of TMG will now cover 62% of the Dutch population.

Esther

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