Luxembourg local news media

Founded in 963, Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815 and an independent state under the Netherlands. It lost more than half of its territory to Belgium in 1839 but gained a larger measure of autonomy. Full independence was attained in 1867. Overrun by Germany in both world wars, it ended its neutrality in 1948 when it entered into the Benelux Customs Union and when it joined NATO the following year. In 1957, Luxembourg became one of the six founding countries of the European Economic Community--later the European Union, and in 1999 it joined the euro currency area.

Luxembourg has a long tradition of operating radio and TV services to pan-European audiences and is home to Europe's largest privately-owned broadcast media group, the RTL group, which operates 45 television stations and 31 radio stations in Europe. Luxembourg is also home to Europe's largest satellite operator, Societe Europeenne des Satellites. Domestically, the RTL group operates TV and radio networks. Additionally, other domestic private radio and TV operators, and French and German stations, are available. Satellite and cable TV services are also accessible.

The largest daily newspaper, Luxemburger Wort, belongs to the Catholic Archbishop of Luxembourg and has close links with the dominant political party, the Christian Social Party. The Imprimerie Saint-Paul, the country's largest printing company, is its publisher. The parent company Groupe Saint-Paul also publishes the largest weekly, Télécran, a magazine focused primarily on TV programming. Additionally, Groupe Saint-Paul produces commercial radio stations DNR and Radio Latina. It also edits a weekly, Contacto, in Portuguese. The second largest newspaper, Tageblatt, belongs to socialist trade unions and has close links with the Socialist Party.