22nd Jan 2020 09:05
(Alliance News) - The UK monopoly regulatory on Thursday said it will invite comments to review whether Daily Mail & General Trust PLC acquisition of the i newspaper from JPI Media Ltd breaches competition rules.
The UK Competitions & Markets authority is probing whether the tie-up may lead to a "substantial lessening of competition".
The CMA said it will invite comments until February 5.
The intervention comes less than two weeks after the PA news agency reported the UK government told the Daily Mail's owner that it is "minded to" intervene in its GBP49.6 million deal to buy the i newspaper.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport said it has written to DMGT amid public interest concerns over the deal.
In a written statement, the department said the deal could negatively impact the need for "a sufficient plurality of views in newspapers" in the UK.
Daily Mail announced the deal to buy the i newspaper
JPI Media is a multimedia company that took over the assets of Johnston Press following the sale of the company to its creditors. Its titles include the i, The Scotsman, the Yorkshire Post, the Falkirk Herald, and Belfast's The News Letter.
Shares in Daily Mail were 0.4% lower at 835.00 pence each in London on Wednesday morning.
By Eric Cunha; [email protected]
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