Grupo Abril

Brazilian media group
Abril S.A.
Grupo Abril headquarters in São Paulo
Company typePrivate
IndustryMedia conglomerate
Founded1950; 74 years ago (1950)
HeadquartersSão Paulo, Brazil
Key people
Benjamin Ramalho (CEO and Chairman)
ProductsPublisher, Internet, Television
RevenueIncrease US$5.0 billion (2012)
Net income
Increase US$400.0 million (2012)
OwnerCivita family
Number of employees
9000
SubsidiariesEditora Abril, TVA, Abril Radiodifusão
Websitegrupoabril.com.br

Grupo Abril (simply also known as Abril) is a Brazilian media conglomerate headquartered in São Paulo. The company is the holding company of Editora Abril, which publishes the weekly newsmagazine Veja.

History and profile

Victor Civita, an Italian businessman, founded Editora Abril in 1950,[1] which was the first publisher of Walt Disney comics in Brazil. He also published other comics and books. Gradually, he developed magazines for specific markets. In the 1960s, with his son Roberto Civita, he expanded to publishing several market-specific magazines, such as Quatro Rodas, Claudia, and others. Veja, the weekly newsmagazine, was founded in 1968 and led by the younger Civita.[2]

Abril had several partnerships in the emerging Brazilian pay TV market during the 90s, including local franchises of American channels such as Disney, MTV and ESPN. The company also entered in cable TV provider service with TVA and in the satellite television market with local version of HD TV.

With exception of MTV and TVA, all properties were sold until beginning of the 2000s. In 2007, Fiz TV and Ideal channels were launched in an effort to return to the pay TV market, but was a failure and the project was discontinued in 2009. Later, TVA was completely sold to Telefónica in 2012, MTV brand was returned to Viacom and its broadcast network was sold to Grupo Spring, which publishes the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stones, in the end of 2013.

Grupo Abril also is the owner of Fernando Chinaglia, the largest distributor of publications in Latin America, acquired in 2007.

In addition to its media interests, the group has entered the education market, with assets that produce many curriculum and instructional materials, including internet applications.

Today, the group is chaired by Fábio Barbosa, after the death of Roberto Civita on May 26, 2013.

Assets

Abril Mídia

Magazines

  • Veja
  • Superinteressante (Brazilian version of Muy Interesante)
  • Mundo Estranho (Superinteressante spinoff)
  • Aventuras na História (Superinteressante spinoff)
  • Exame
  • VIP
  • Placar
  • Capricho
  • Quatro Rodas
  • Nova (Brazilian version of Cosmopolitan)
  • Estilo de Vida (Brazilian version of InStyle)
  • Elle
  • Claudia
  • Manequim
  • Boa Forma
  • Saúde! É Vital
  • Caras
  • Casa Claudia
  • Arquitetura & Construção
  • Minha Casa
  • Recreio
  • Vida Simples

[3]

Television

  • TVA (joint venture with Telefónica)
  • Ideal (originally closed due to low carriage and viewership, however, returned in October 2013, replacing MTV Brasil)

Out-of-home advertising

  • Rede Elemídia

Abril Educação

Publishers

  • Editora Ática

Teaching systems

  • Anglo
  • Ser
  • GEO
  • Sistema Farias Brito

Courses and Colleges

  • Anglo Vestibulares
  • Colégio pH
  • Alfacon Concursos
  • Colegio Sigma

English

  • Red Balloon

New Business

  • Sistema de Ensino Técnico ETB
  • Ei Você
  • Edumobi
  • Alfacon - Preparatório para Concursos
  • Escola Satélite

Past assets

  • MTV Brasil Ltda. (before named MTV Brasil, in 2005 change by enterprise Abril Radiodifusão)
  • MTV Brasil (was replaced after the business was returned to Viacom in October 2013)
  • Listel (sold to BellSouth, now part of Carvajal-owned Publicar)
  • Disney Channel (stake sold to Disney Channel Brazil)
  • UOL (with operations to Grupo Folha)
  • Abril Vídeo (closed in 1999, replaced with Brazilian subsidiaries of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and 20th Century Studios Home Entertainment)
  • Abril Music (record label operated between 1998 and 2003, ceased operations due to competition from major record companies)
  • Bravo Brasil (a joint venture with the American cable network Bravo, currently Pramer-owned Film&Arts)
  • CMT Brasil (the Brazilian version of Country Music Television, a joint venture with the network closed in 2002)
  • Fiz (closed due to low carriage and viewership, concept lives through Fiz na MTV)
  • BRZ (between 2012 and 2014)

Abril Vídeo

Abril Vídeo was a home video division for TV shows, videos and movies on VHS. Began operation on April 6, 1983 and closed in 1999. It distributed films from The Walt Disney Company and 20th Century Fox on VHS in the Brazilian market.

References

  1. ^ "The Communications Landscape in Brazil. Our Perspective". JeffreyGroup. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Como perder peso" Revisado.
  3. ^ Abril website with all magazines published retrieved in October 2012 (pt)

External links

  • Abril website
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
International
  • ISNI
  • VIAF
National
  • United States