The Portuguese language weekly newspaper, Barlavento, is now part of the expanding Open Media group which, along with magazines such as Essential Algarve also owns MMS Publishing Lda, publisher of the Algarve Resident and Editurismo Lda - publisher of the German language magazine Entdecken Sie Algarve.
Barlavento was first printed in 1975 and is the oldest surviving Portuguese language publication in the Algarve region. Barlavento's publisher, Mediregião Lda, run into trouble during the current crisis and went into liquidation in 2012, entering into a Projecto de Recuperação yet in spite of the difficulties the newspaper never ceased weekly publication.
Portimão Court and the creditors approved the creation of a new company that would take on a percentage of the debts as well as the assets and the title.
Open Media became the main shareholder, a move that received court approval earlier this year.
Founder and director of Barlavento, the well known and respected journalist Helder Nunes, keeps a stake in the new company and remains as director and editor.
Bruce Hawker of Open Media commented, “The acquisition of Barlavento is an important strategic move for Open Media, bringing together two well respected regional newspapers covering the English and Portuguese markets.”
Barlavento is re-launched this week with a fresh design (see picture) and double the number of pages to 32.
Hawker said today “The journalists on the Algarve Resident and Barlavento now work closely together and we are in the process of strengthening the team. We plan to increase news coverage in various areas particularly business where we see an important bridge between the foreign and national business communities.”
