The acquisition stems from PR Newswire's strategy to establish itself as the leading commercial news distribution service across Europe through acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Pers Support (http://www.anp.nl/perssupport), a division of Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANP), is the most important news source for the Dutch media and issues full-text news releases to more than 8,000 journalists at Dutch newspapers and broadcast stations via news wire, e-mail, and fax.

"Pers Support is the leading news release distributor in the Netherlands, making it a perfect investment for PR Newswire," said Vicky Unwin, managing director of PR Newswire's European division. "We offer the right combination of local customer service and global reach that communicators throughout the world need to connect to their audiences. This acquisition offers an excellent opportunity for us to provide services to the region's growing public relations industry with the leading service."

According to the announcement, the $5.5 million U.S. investment in Pers Support significantly strengthens PR Newswire's presence in Europe, positioning it favorably with the Dutch media and communications practitioners. ANP, which provides continual news coverage for the Netherlands' daily newspapers and radio stations, launched Pers Support in 1996 and currently serves 450 organizations ranging from corporate entities such as Libertel and Heineken to national and local government agencies.

Source: PR Newswire, New York, 800/832-5522, 212/596-1500; http://www.prnewswire.com.