Media voices lost in NZME, Fairfax merger would be 'virtually irreplaceable', judge says

Tue, 19 Dec 2017

By Paul McBeth Dec. 19 (BusinessDesk) - The loss of diversity of voices in a merger of publishers NZME and Fairfax New Zealand would be "virtually irreplaceable" and the Commerce Commission was within its rights to weigh up that issue in rejecting the deal, the High Court found. Justice Robert Dobson and lay member Professor Martin Richardson rejected the dominant publishers' appeal to overturn the regulator's decision, saying the commission was within the law in leaning on the loss of media plurality in turning down the transaction and a...

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