deteriorated, becoming critical in 1976. Standard Group declared bankruptcy on 22 June. De Standaard was rescued by André Leysen, a Belgian businessman, who formed Vlaamse Uitgeversmaatschappij N.V. (VUM - "Flemish Publishers Partnership"). VUM took over Standard Group's titles, and became the publisher of De Standaard. VUM changed its name to Corelio in 2006. The sister newspaper of De Standaard is Het Nieuwsblad. Since 30 September 1999 the newspaper has stopped printing the lettercross AVV-VVK on its frontpage. In March 2004, De Standaard changed its format from traditional broadsheet to compact format. Unlike common practice for the most of the newspapers this change occurred during its modernization process, not as a response to low circulation levels. On 9 January 2017 De Standaard fired its controversial columnist, Dyab Abou Jahjah, after the latter made comments on Twitter that condoned the 2017 Jerusalem truck attack. Circulation In 2002 De Standaard'' had a circulation of 98,169 copies. The circulation of the paper was also reported to be 93,500 copies in 2002. The paper had a circulation of 79,000 copies in 2003 and 81,000 copies in 2004. The circulation of the paper was 102,280 copies in 2007. During the first quarter of 2009 the paper had a circulation of 107,888 copies. In 2009 its paid circulation was about 98,000 copies. Notable journalists Gaston Durnez Maria Rosseels (1916–2005), film critic and writer. References External links Newspapers in the class room 1918 establishments in Belgium Dutch-language newspapers published in Belgium Newspapers published in Brussels Publications established in 1918