National Newspapers Seek Meeting With OFT

The Times may face a further attack on its pricing scheme as a number of national newspaper owners are taking their complaints to the director-general of the Office of Fair Trading, John Bridgeman. Newspaper Publishing, publishers of The Independent, Telegraph Publishing and the Guardian Media Group have made an offer to meet with Mr. Bridgeman in January to discuss what they describe as predatory pricing which is unfair to competition. The publishers are hoping that the OFT will renew its 1994 opinion on competition rules and cut-price newspapers. John Bridgeman has not yet replied to the offer but is not expected to decline the meeting.

The Times, which currently sales at 10p on Mondays, told Newsline that it would not be seeking a meeting with the OFT although it would be happy to talk to the director-general if invited. A spokeswoman for the paper also pointed out that The Independent has made similar complaints twice before to the OFT; both were rejected by the director-general. The Times is confident that nothing has changed.

Office of Fair Trading: 0171 211 8000