OFT clears Archant acquisition by Johnston Press

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 17-Apr-07, 16:35

LONDON - The Office of Fair Trading has decided not to refer Johnston Press' acquisition of eight Scottish local newspapers from Archant to the Competition Commission.

The OFT was investigating the deal to determine whether it constituted a relevant merger under the provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002. It was concerned about the impact of the deal on competition in the market.

Archant sold off all of its 15 weekly Scottish regional newspapers and magazines to The Scotsman's owners, Johnston Press, for £11.2m in January this year. The portfolio includes Buchan Observer, Lanarkshire Extra and the Glasgow Southside.

Archant publishes a total of 85 weekly newspapers and four daily titles.

In May last year the OFT approved Johnston Press' acquisition of Scotsman Publications, publisher of The Scotsman and the Edinburgh Evening News, from the Barclay brothers.