John Bridgeman, director-general of the Office of Fair Trading, has written to the Guardian, Daily Telegraph and Independent to request information to support their claims that the Times is operating a predatory pricing policy.
Bridgeman said: “In the past we have dismissed other claims of predatory pricing but the issue continues to cause concern.” While the OFT’s move shows that the regulator is taking the matter seriously, it is does not mean that a full scale investigation will follow.
The Times continues to maintain that its pricing policy is in line with guidelines already laid out by the OFT.
Bridgeman has also said that he wants information on the Sunday newspaper market, an indication that any future investigation would be expanded.
The issue of the Times‘s pricing policy raised its head again when the House of Lords voted in favour of an amendment to the Competition Bill, aimed at preventing newspapers from abusing a dominant position in the market (subscribers see Lords Revolt In Favour Of Curbing Newspaper Price Cuts).
OFT: 0171 242 2858
Media Jobs
Hello. We have downloaded cookies on your device. Some of these cookies are essential for the website to function. Others are non-essential and are used for analytics and advertising.
We need your consent for these types of cookies.
To withdraw your consent or change your cookie choices, please do this through your browser settings.
Otherwise, click OK to accept and continue.
