our history
Discover how we’ve grown from a local publishing house into a leading international media company…
#1 The Very Beginning (1954)
In 1954, lawyer Willy De Nolf, together with his wife Marie-Thérèse De Clerck, embarked on a remarkable journey by dedicating themselves to printing and publishing the local newspaper De Roeselaarse Weekbode. The establishment of NV Roularta marked the very beginning of what would become an extraordinary adventure—transforming from a humble local publishing house into a leading international media powerhouse.
#2 The first magazines (1971)
With the launch of the weekly magazines Knack (1971), Trends (1975) and Sportmagazine (1980), Belgium saw the emergence of highly popular American news magazine concepts such as Newsweek, Businessweek and Sports Illustrated being followed locally.
#3 To the screen (1987)
At the end of the 1980s, Roularta, together with eight other media companies, co-founded VTM: the first independent television channel in Flanders. In 1993, the launch of the very first regional channels followed with WTV and Focus TV in West Flanders. Thereafter, Roularta and its advertising management played an essential role in the launch of other regional channels across Flanders.
Kanaal Z, the business channel, followed in 1999. Today, it is recognized alongside the weekly magazine Trends as a strong multimedia brand under the name Trends Z.
#4 A ‘Sunday’s child’ (1999)
Since 1999, the free newspaper De Zondag has become a household name in Flanders. Distributed through thousands of bakeries and local shops, our ‘Sunday’s child’ has grown into a remarkable success: with sixteen regional editions and over 1.3 million readers, De Zondag is now Belgium’s largest weekly magazine.
#5 A Buzzing Printing Plant (2006)
With a significant expansion in 2006 and an unrelenting stream of innovations and efficiency improvements, Roularta Printing gradually evolved from a traditional rotary printing house into one of the most efficient and sustainable printing companies in Europe.
#6 Familiy foundation (2015)
In 2015, leadership passed from Rik De Nolf, son of founder Willy De Nolf, to his son-in-law Xavier Bouckaert. With Xavier as CEO, Katrien De Nolf by his side as HR Director and multiple family members on the Board of Directors, Roularta Media Group continues to preserve its identity as a family-owned business.
#7 A new community (2018)
What a journey it’s been. Since acquiring Libelle, Flair and Feeling in 2018, Roularta has been serving two major communities: News & Business and Women & Lifestyle. Today, the group stands as the market leader in Belgium’s magazine landscape.
#8 Time to join forces (2018)
In 2018, Roularta partnered with Rossel to acquire a 50% stake in Mediafin, publisher of the daily newspaper De Tijd and the weekly magazine De Belegger.
#9 The digital kiosk (2022)
Thirty media brands at your fingertips—that’s how we describe the launch of our ‘Mijn Magazines’ app in 2022. This digital magazine kiosk and companion website offer seamless access to all content produced by our editorial teams.
#10 Long live the Netherlands (2022)
In 2022, the Dutch media group New Skool Media became part of Roularta Media Group. Weekly magazines EW and Beleggers Belangen, along with a broad selection of popular Dutch monthly magazines, were added to our portfolio.
A year later, in 2023, three leading mindfulness magazines followed: Happinez (also published in France and Germany), Yoga by Happinez and Psychologie Magazine—acquired from Dutch publisher WPG Media.
Since January 2025, Marjolein Denekamp (photo) has joined the management team of Roularta Media Group. She is responsible for implementing the company’s vision and strategy in the Netherlands, focusing on digitalisation, innovation, sustainable growth, and partnerships.