Third in the alliance

It has only just become known that the outdoor advertising company Affichage has a third major shareholder: as of December 31, 2004, the company Arnold and S. Bleichroeder Advisers in New York reported a stake of 5.04 percent.The value investor has held Affichage shares for some time, and last year exceeded the 5 percent mark for the first time, explains Ulrich von Bassewitz, CFO of Affichage. Unlike the other major shareholders, Arnold and S. Bleichroeder Advisers has not applied for voting rights. "Since 2002, when the US out-of-home advertiser Clear Channel Plakanda sold its 8 percent stake in its Swiss competitor, Affichage has only had two major shareholders: the French out-of-home advertiser JCDecaux (30 percent) and Grisobi Holding, owned by the married couple Béatrice and Paul-Henry Binz (6 percent). Both have voting rights limited to 5 percent. They are also represented on the Affichage Board of Directors with one seat each, with Paul-Henry Binz holding the office of Vice Chairman.
(mk)