Press release

The Media Ownership Authority has decided not to intervene against Bergens Tidende’s acquisition of TVHordaland. The majority of companies that run local TV-companies are owned by or have close connections to press companies. This pattern has emerged through the awarding of licences and the approval of changes in ownership, an exercise of public authority which has been done in accordance with existing regulation. On this background the Authority has concluded that it will not intervene in this concrete case.

In October 2000 Bergens Tidende acquired shares in TVHordaland which resulted in ownership of  75 per cent of the shares and control over the company.

TVHordaland has the only licence to transmit independent television in an area which covers 28 municipalities in Hordaland county and one municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county. The licence period expires at the end of 2002. TVHordaland has an agreement with TVNorge which entitles TVNorge, for a certain transmission fee,  to transmit its programmes through TVHordaland’s network. The fee constitutes around 60 per cent of TVHordaland’s total income. The agreement expires at the end of 2002.

Bergens Tidende is published in Bergen and is the dominant newspaper within the licence area of TVHordaland, with an average circulation covering 53 per cent of the population. In Bergen and its surroundings Bergensavisen is the second largest newspaper. TVHordaland’s licence area is generally characterised by many independent local newspapers. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) has a regional television service which is aimed at Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane, while there is a regional radio service aimed at Hordaland separately. The regional broadcasting services have nevertheless lower viewer- and listener-figures than what is the average amongst NRK’s regional broadcasts. The Media Ownership Authority has concluded that Bergens Tidende has a significant ownership position in the relevant market and that this position is contrary to the purpose of the Act on media ownership. 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”.

The Media Ownership Authority is of the opinion that the Authorities should make it clear through the regulation governing the granting of licences of independent local television, if and on what conditions newspaper companies can hold a licence for local television within its own area of circulation.

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.