The OFT has cleared the acquisition by Bauer Radio Limited of TIML Golden Square Limited. The acquisition will add the Absolute radio brand to Bauer’s existing portfolio of commercial radio stations including Kiss and Magic. The OFT considered the impact of the transaction on the provision of airtime advertising (contracted and non-contracted) at a national level and in London, the provision of national sponsorship and promotions and the supply of multiplex services in London. It concluded that the transaction is unlikely to reduce competition in all these areas.
The politician and the judge: Implications for competition policy
Drawing on the historical evolution of antitrust policy, the authors argue that some increase in politicisation is likely an inevitable result of the expansion...