Media

Global wants investigation into its GMG Radio bid fast-tracked

By | Published on Monday 2 July 2012

GMG Radio

According to Radio Today, Global Radio will request that the Office Of Fair Trading fast-track its bid to buy the Guardian Media Group’s radio company, which operates the Real and Smooth Radio networks, in a bid to get any Competition Commission investigation moving as quickly as possible.

The UK’s biggest radio company has already reportedly signed a standard ‘hold separate undertaking’ with the OFT, and is reportedly – and unsurprisingly – keen for competition regulators to start their investigation asap. Any such investigation could take up to nine months to complete.

As previously reported, Global’s competitors Bauer, Absolute and UTV Radio are all likely to raise objections to the proposed acquisition.

UTV has also asked for clarification regards the immediate appointment of a Global executive, on secondment, to run GMG Radio while the regulatory investigation is ongoing, and how its rival would ensure the two companies remain separate entities during that time.



READ MORE ABOUT: | | | | | | |