CCPC to carry out Phase 2 investigation of Irish Examiner acquisition
March 22, 2018
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has decided to carry out a Phase 2 investigation into the proposed transaction whereby the Irish Times would acquire sole control of Sappho Limited (Irish Examiner).
The CCPC’s role in reviewing mergers and acquisitions is to ensure that proposed transactions do not substantially lessen competition in any market for goods or services in the State.
Following a preliminary investigation, the CCPC has determined that further analysis is required to establish if the proposed transaction could lead to a substantial lessening of competition in any market for goods or services in the State.
The CCPC must make a final decision on the proposed transaction on or before 1 August 2018. This deadline may, however, change if the CCPC issues a Requirement for Information.
Interested parties are invited to make submissions no later than 5.30pm on Wednesday 11 April 2018. Details on how to make a submission are available here.
Additional Information
The Irish Times is engaged in the following business activities in the State:
- the publication of the Irish Times, a national daily newspaper, and its website irishtimes.com
- the operation of the following three websites: myhome.ie, irishracing.com and myantiques.ie
- the sale of newspaper advertising in the Irish Times
- the sale of online advertising on irishtimes.com, myhome.ie, irishracing.com and myantiques.ie
- the provision of contract printing services to third party newspaper publishers and
- the provision of training courses.
Sappho Limited is engaged in the following business activities in the State:
- the publication of the Irish Examiner, a national daily newspaper, and its website irishexaminer.com
- the publication of the Evening Echo, a daily evening newspaper circulated primarily in Co. Cork, and its website eveningecho.ie
- the publication of the following six weekly regional newspapers: Laois Nationalist, Kildare Nationalist, Carlow Nationalist, Western People, Waterford News and Star and Roscommon Herald
- the operation of the following three websites: breakingnews.ie, recruitIreland.com and benchwarmers.ie
- the operation of two radio stations: Beat 102-103 which is licensed by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to broadcast in the South East of Ireland and WLR FM which is licensed to broadcast in Co. Waterford.
- the sale of newspaper advertising in each of the newspapers that it publishes and
- the sale of online advertising on each of the websites that it operates.
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