Reinhard Mohn | Led media company, 88

Reinhard Mohn, 88, who helped transform the media group Bertelsmann AG from a German book publisher to an international media company, died Saturday, the company said.

Mr. Mohn, together with his wife, helped steer the company into a wide array of publishing - including the acquisition of U.S.-based Random House - music and other ventures. He spent about 45 years with the company and most recently served as honorary chairman of the company's supervisory board.

Born in Guetersloh, Germany, Mr. Mohn took over his family's printing and publishing business, C. Bertelsmann Verlag, in 1947. He expanded the operation by embracing sales representatives and catalogs, and the company grew to incorporate magazine publishing, television broadcasting, and other avenues.

In 1971, he helped oversee the company's transformation into a stock corporation and become chairman and chief executive. In 1977, he established the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation. Bertelsmann's assets include publisher Random House, TV broadcaster RTL, and a majority stake in magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr. - AP