Bertelsmann raised its stake in PRH to 75 percent in July, giving it the option of listing the business after it purchased a PRH stake from rival Pearson.

Asked whether Bertelsmann was seeking full control of PRH, Hirsch said: "We have reached our goal of gaining 75 percent control."

Buying the outstanding 25 percent stake, which is still owned by Pearson, would depend on whether Pearson approached Bertelsmann over the matter, Hirsch said.

Asked whether Bertelsmann would consider listing PRH, Hirsch said: "We have the IPO option. But this is not a scenario which we are thinking about."

The progress already being made to transform Bertelsmann into a digital publishing company has reduced the need to raise funds via the stock market to finance further strategic change.

"If you think in a five-year timespan, the financing need is no longer of a magnitude where large projects need to be financed via an initial public offering," Hirsch told the paper.

Bertelsmann is also not considering a sale of its Printing Group, Hirsch added.

(Reporting by Edward Taylor; Editing by Gareth Jones)