Press release
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The Media Ownership Authority has decided not to intervene against Fædrelandsvennen AS’ acquisition of the local newspaper Søgne og Songdalen Budstikke AS. The Authority has concluded that the acquired enterprise is of little significance in relation to the purpose of the Act.
In Mai 2001 Fædrelandsvennen aquired 50 percent of the shares in Søgne og Songdalen Budstikke AS and became the dominant shareholder in the newspaper. Fædrelandsvennen AS owned already the only other newspaper that covers the municipalities Søgne and Songdalen, and the Authority concluded therefore that Fædrelandsvennen AS has a significant ownership position in the relevant market.
The Authority has nevertheless concluded that the acquisition is not contrary to the purpose of the law. The purpose as set out in Article 1 is "to promote freedom of expression, genuine opportunities to express one’s opinions and a comprehensive range of media".
In accordance with the guiding principles to the Media Ownership Act the Authority should refrain from intervention if the acquired enterprise is of little significance in relation to the purpose of the law. The local newspaper Søgne og Songdalen Budstikke is one of the smallest newspapers in Norway. The newspaper covers a very small geographical area (two municipalities), has a limited circulation (1346 copies) and a low publishing frequency (once a week). On this background the Media Ownership Authority had concluded that the acquisition is not contrary to the purpose of the law.
The Authority’s decision (in Norwegian) is located on the Internet under www.eierskapstilsynet.no. Copies will also be forwarded on request.
Press contacts: Director General Sigve Gramstad (email sg@eierskapstilsynet.no) or Deputy Director General Gudbrand Guthus (email gg@eierskapstilsynet.no), tel. +47 22 47 68 80.
Last modified 2005-04-13 03:27