Proposed acquisition of Australian Regional Media by News Corp

Overview

On 6 October 2016, the ACCC released a Statement of Issues (SoI) in relation on the proposed acquisition of Australian Regional Media (ARM) by News Corp (News). We invite submissions from industry participants in response to the SoI.

The SoI seeks to give the ACCC’s preliminary views on competition issues arising from the proposed acquisition, identify areas of further inquiry and give all parties an opportunity to comment on the proposed acquisition. In particular, we invite submissions in relation to the effects of the proposed acquisition in the following markets:

• the supply of news and information to readers in Queensland regional centres (including Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Hervey Bay, Gympie, the Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Ipswich and Warwick), in which ARM’s paid daily newspapers overlap with The Courier Mail
• the supply of advertising opportunities in the same Queensland regional centres
• the supply of local news and information to readers in Caboolture/Bribie Island, south west Brisbane, Brisbane northern bayside, Logan and Tweed Heads/southern Gold Coast, where ARM and News both publish overlapping community newspapers
• the supply of local advertising opportunities to advertisers in the same five local areas.

The SoI contains further information and questions related to the above issues. It also sets out more information about each of the geographic areas mentioned above.

Submissions close on Thursday 27 October 2016.