DuMont Consolidates Leadership of Regional Media

Cologne, 18 March 2026 – DuMont is consolidating the leadership of its regional media and at the same time advancing its platform strategy. As of 1 April 2026, Oliver Eckert will take on the position of CEO of Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien in addition to his role as Chief Operating Officer of DuMont. He will hold both roles in a dual capacity.

The current CEO Thomas Schultz-Homberg will hand over leadership as planned in the course of the strategic further development of Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien. As of 1 May 2026, he will join the Executive Management Board of Madsack Mediengruppe in Hanover as Chief Transformation Officer.

Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien brings together DuMont’s regional editorial activities. Consolidating responsibility at the top shortens decision-making processes, increases the speed of implementation and aligns the development of the regional media more closely with DuMont’s overall strategy.

The leadership change is connected to the KStA.Connect initiative, through which Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien is further developing its business model. KStA.Connect goes beyond traditional journalism: the initiative connects news with local communities, events and services, thereby creating a platform for the Cologne metropolitan region. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this: it helps to identify regional topics more quickly, deliver content in a personalised way and develop new data-driven products. This makes journalism more personal, more useful and more local.

Dr. Christoph Bauer, CEO of DuMont: “Thomas Schultz-Homberg has led Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien through a demanding phase with great clarity and entrepreneurial resolve. He has laid important structural foundations for the future. For this, I would like to express my explicit thanks on behalf of the Group Management Board – both professionally and personally. At the same time, I am pleased that Oliver Eckert will be taking on responsibility for Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien in addition to his role on the Group Management Board and will be driving KStA.Connect forward.”

In recent years, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien has significantly expanded its offering, developed new technological solutions and increasingly focused on data-driven products and artificial intelligence applications. With KStA.Connect, the next phase of this development now begins.

Oliver Eckert says: “Cologne and its people are special. They need a digital platform that reflects that. With KStA.Connect, we are creating exactly that: a place where first-class journalism, vibrant communities, exciting events and useful services grow together. A place that makes life in the region a little better.”

Thomas Schultz-Homberg says: “I am grateful for the trust and collaboration of the past years. Together, we have created important foundations for the future. Now is the right time to drive the next phase of development forward with a new set-up.”