Radio Authority Clears Capital’s Border Take-over

The Radio Authority has given the go-ahead for Capital Radio to take over Border Radio Holdings (see Capital Radio Wins Battle For Border). Following a public interest test into the acquisition, the Authority determined that the joint holding of Sun FM and Century Radio could not be expected to operate against the public interest provided that original undertakings given by Border Radio when it took over Sun FM (see The Radio Authority Rules) were carried on by Capital.

These undertakings include several ensuring that influential figures such as station managers and directors at both stations act independently of one another, another ensuring that the amount of news content specific to the Sun FM coverage area remains the same and another relating to the employment of “sufficient, experienced and suitably qualified journalists” at Sun FM, in addition to, rather than instead of, those at Century.

Capital entered the bidding battle for Border Television as a white knight, following a hostile bid from Scottish Radio Holdings (see Scottish Radio Launches £116m Hostile Bid For Border TV). If the deal is allowed to go ahead, it will create one of the biggest radio group in the UK (see Feature: Border/Capital Deal Would Create Radio Group To Rival EMAP On Air), rivalling that of Emap. Capital is expected to sell Border’s television franchise to Granada (see Granada Agrees To Buy Border TV Assets).

Capital Radio: 020 7766 6000 Radio Authority: 020 7430 2724