The place of multimedia groups in the world of publishing

The publishing world is increasingly dividing into two types of enterprise: the large, international multimedia groups and the small, craftsmanlike independent publishers. The health of the industry depends on their coexistence and on the success of the written word in competing against alternative uses for leisure time. Yves Sabouret is chairman and CEO of La Cinq (television station) and former vice-chairman and CEO of the Hachette Group. Among Hachette international holdings are Grolier and Hachette Magazines in the United States, and Salvat and various subsidiaries in Spain and Latin America. The Group has 31,000 employees worldwide and operations in 39 countries; 1990 estimated sales are 30 billion French francs.