WORLD PRESS TRENDS - World Association of Newspapers

ESTONIA
Advertising expenditure
(Kroon millions, in current prices)
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Newspapers 155 190 281 334 305 305 361 358 361 367 381
Magazines 25 37 47 85 81 95 98 104 110 115 121
Television 65 110 158 185 130 155 165
Radio 22 49 53 71 77 75 75
Other 14 29 41 43 45 30 34
Total 281 415 580 718 639 675 751 786 821 851 890
Source: 1995-2005 ZenithOptimedia
Notes: Excludes classified and production costs, includes agency commission, after discounts
Research
Readership is measured by: Emor, Saar Poll
Methodology: Emor carries out the national readership survey
once a month in the course of the Emor bimonthly CAPI-bus
survey. Media usage and background data are gathered by
using the computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI)
method. The national readership survey is a continuous survey
in the course of which 500 Estonian residents aged 15-74 are
interviewed every month. Reporting is done once a month based
on a sample of 1500 respondents (data of rolling three months).
Saar Poll conducts the annual readership survey among 3,150
respondents.
Taxes
VAT on: sales 0/18%* advertising 18%
newsprint 18% plant 18%
composition 18% (standard VAT rate 18%)
* subscription sales have 0% VAT, single copy sales 18%.
The tax rate on profits for all companies is 26%, although this
tax does not apply if profits are reinvested.
Subsidies
Subsidies are granted to cultural periodicals, and for distributing
newspapers to rural regions.
Discounts
on: post * rail 0 telephone 0 telegraph 0
* there is a special tariff for distribution of periodicals
Ownership
Does any law exist governing publishing-house ownership, or the
registration of shares in newspaper-publishing companies No
Is there any law prohibiting or restricting foreign companies or
individuals from owning shares, and in particular, the majority of
shares, of domestic daily newspapers No
Is there any law prohibiting daily newspaper or periodical publishers
from operating radio or television stations in the same locality Yes.
No company or person may simultaneously own a TV station,
a radio station, and a daily or weekly paper.
So as to guarantee disclosure and transparency in the capital structure
and to avert silent partnerships, is there a law or rule making it possible
to determine who actually owns a publishing company No
Is there an antitrust law limiting concentration in the daily press
No
Is further regulation of media concentration expected No
Subsidies (Kroon million)
Amount of direct subsidies (Kroon millions)
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Cultural 9 11 11 11 11
Distribution 15 15 15 15 15
Total 24 26 26 26 27
WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS - WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2003 113