Newspaper merger between Lausitzer Rundschau and Wochenkurier Brandenburg prohibited

The Bundeskartellamt in Bonn has prohibited the merger between the Holtzbrinck subsidiary Lausitzer Rundschau Medienverlag GmbH, Cottbus and KG Wochenkurier Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. Brandenburg, Elsterheide / Bergen.

The participating companies already implemented the merger in 1996 without notifying the project to the Bundeskartellamt. At the time Lausitzer Rundschau, the leading subscription daily in South Brandenburg, had acquired 24.9 per cent of the shares in the Wochenkurier, the sole advertising journal with a comparable regional distribution area. The Bundeskartellamt became aware of this transaction through other proceedings and thus initiated merger control proceedings.

The merger resulted in Lausitzer Rundschau’s dominant positions being strengthened in the local advertising markets in Cottbus and Senftenberg and in the South Brandenburg regional advertising market. In addition the acquisition secures Lausitzer Rundschau’s unique position as a regional subscription daily.

The companies can file an appeal against the Bundeskartellamt’s decision at the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court.