Northcliffe Newspapers Cleared To Acquire Aberdeen Journals

The Department of Trade and Industry has given its consent to Northcliffe Newspapers to acquire Aberdeen Journals, following an enquiry by the Monopolies and Merges Commission.

The MMC concluded that the transfer of the papers is not against the public interest. The MMC believe “that it is in Northcliffe’s commercial interests to preserve the independent approach of AJL’s titles”. The deal increases Northcliffe’s share of the total sales of local and regional newspapers from 9.7% to 11.3%; but “the MMC do not believe that this is a cause for concern in view of the separate operation of Northcliffe’s local and regional newspaper businesses, each of which has to respond to competition in its own marketing area.”

The sale of the Aberdeen Journals completes the sale of Thomson Corporation’s regional newspaper business in the UK.

DTI: 0171 215 5000