Press release
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From June to December 2003, A-pressen made agreements with 13 shareholders of the local newspaper Halden Arbeiderblad AS. As the Authority saw it, the agreements would give A-pressen control over Halden Arbeiderblad. The Board of Halden Arbeiderblad claimed that under the Articles of Association, these agreements triggered a right of pre-emptive purchase. The Board therefore distributed these shares to those shareholders who had not earlier signed agreements with A-pressen. The dispute is now before the courts.
The Authority has considered these agreements under the Ownership Act and found that they were to be regarded as “acquisitions” within the meaning of the act. A-pressen already owns the other newspaper covering the local market. Nevertheless, no intervention can be made until the case has been decided in the court apparatus, since it is not clear whether the agreements between A-pressen and the shareholders can be fulfilled. If A-pressen should win the case and gain control over Halden Arbeiderblad, such an allocation could be defined as a new acquisition and form the basis for a new case under the ownership act.
On this background, the Media Ownership Authority has decided not to intervene for the time being against the contracts between A-pressen and shareholders in Halden Arbeiderblad.
The Authority’s decision (in Norwegian) is located on the Internet under www.eierskapstilsynet.no.Copies will also be forwarded on request.
Press contact: Deputy Director General
Last modified 2005-04-13 03:27