The UK Competition Commission has asked Independent News & Media to consider selling off either the Sunday World or the Sunday Life to offset possible concerns it may raise at its proposed £300 million sterling (€509 million) takeover of the Belfast Telegraph.
In a letter published yesterday, the commission lists several "possible remedies" which it would like Independent News & Media to consider before it attends a private meeting with the commission in the next few weeks.
These remedies should be considered on a "purely hypothetical basis" and would come into play only if the commission decided it needed to make recommendations to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Mr Stephen Byers, to prevent adverse effects from the proposed takeover, according to the text of the letter. These include selling one of its Northern Irish Sunday titles and undertakings to preserve editorial independence and the existing political stance of the titles.
The commission drafted the letter after studying 22 submissions from interested parties and conducting a public hearing last week in Belfast.
At that meeting, several unionist MPs raised objections to the proposed takeover on commercial grounds.
The commission has asked Independent News & Media to consider:
limiting the role of Independent News & Media in relation to transferred titles;
constraining cross-selling of advertising either through cross-Border media packaging or joint sales packaging between the Sun- day World and the titles under the Belfast Telegraph;
continuing production of titles under the Belfast Telegraph in Northern Ireland.
The text of the letter stressed the commission had not yet reached any conclusions on whether the proposed acquisition of the Belfast Telegraph might be expected to operate against the public interest.
It outlined that the inquiry was likely to focus on the effect of the transfer of ownership on free expression of opinion and political balance in Northern Ireland, the rationale for the acquisition by Independent News & Media, the effect on employment and its effect on advertisers.
