Press release

After having taken all aspects into consideration, the Media Ownership Authority has decided not to intervene against the merger between the two local newspapers in Bodø in Nordland county, Nordlands Framtid, owned by A-pressen, and Nordlandsposten, owned by Harstad Tidende Gruppen (HTG). The Authority has, among other things, based this decision on the fact that the merger process is far advanced. The Authority believes that the parties’ new newspaper will appear even if the Authority intervenes, but in that case the newspaper will appear as a newspaper owned by A-pressen and Nordlands Framtid will no longer exist. Because of the information A-pressen has acquired on the weaknesses, strategies and economic situation of Nordlandsposten, it will in the future be difficult for this newspaper to compete with the newspaper owned by A-pressen. This effect is increased by the fact that parts of the staff of Nordlandsposten have been employed by the new newspaper.

The Authority is aware that this situation has been created by the parties, a situation for which the parties are responsible. The Authority does not intend to attach importance to such aspects in future cases and will propose that the Media Ownership Authority, like the Competition Authority, will be authorized to adopt a temporary prohibition against irreversible acquisitions of this kind.

Another aspect to which the Authority has attached importance is that the smaller party, HTG, seems to benefit most from the cooperation agreement. The most important reasoning is that the local newspaper Bladet Tromsø in Tromsø and HTG’s two newspapers in the Northern part of Troms county, Troms Folkeblad and Framtid i Nord, are secured. An intervention might have resulted in an even bigger dominance for A-pressen in Northern Norway than what is the case today.

In addition, A-pressen and HTG have, after discussions with the Media Ownership Authority, undertaken, first, not to obstruct the establishment of a new subscription paper or free newspaper in Bodø. The parties undertake, during a period of one and a half year, not to establish or actively prepare the establishment of a local newspaper in Bodø or any other paid or free newspaper covering the Bodø area, provided it is not done in order to meet the competition from new free newspapers. The parties also undertake to make their resources on print and distribution available to any new newspaper on non-discriminatory conditions.

Second, A-pressen and HTG undertake to offer existing and future newspapers, not being members of the advertising cooperation Media Nor, membership as additional newspapers on non-discriminatory conditions and to be given non-discriminatory treatment.

Third, A-pressen and HTG give the assurance that existing competition will be retained and that no limitations exist, neither by agreement or implicit, for the parties to enter into competition. For example, this concerns competition with regard to establishment of new companies and competition for stakes in existing media companies. 

Finally, HTG is in final negotiations regarding the sale of the local newspaper Saltenposten to possible local buyers at Fauske and undertake to implement the sale on the basis of the existing offer, to which HTG has received an oral acceptance.

On this background, the Media Ownership Authority will not intervene against the cooperation agreement between A-pressen ASA and Harstad Tidende Gruppen AS.

Press contact: Director General Sigve Gramstad (e-mail sg@eierskapstilsynet.no) or Deputy Director General Gudbrand Guthus (e-mail gg@eierskapstilsynet.no). tel. +47 22 47 68 80.