THE American-owned parent company of The Northern Echo and Darlington & Stockton Times is seeking to buy a major Scottish newspaper publisher.
The bid by Gannett UK, owner of Newsquest (North East), for the Scottish Media Group's (SMG) newspaper arm has been referred to the Competition Commission.
Gannett UK has applied for consent to acquire SMG's newspapers and related assets under the special newspaper merger regime. The titles include The Herald, Sunday Herald and Evening Times.
The Glasgow newspaper group has a joint circulation of more than 500,000, a figure which demands automatic referral of any sale to the Competition Commission.
In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry said the Competition Commission will be directed to report on whether the proposed transfers may be expected to operate against the public interest, looking in particular at the need for accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion. It is due to report by March 10
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article