Kantar's Irish Buy Cleared, with Multiple Caveats

Kantar Media's purchase of Irish company Newsaccess has been cleared by the country's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), following an extensive investigation and with Kantar required to make divestments and contract changes.

Kantar Media monitors Irish print, broadcast, digital and social media, and announced the acquisition of Dublin-based Newsaccess just almost seven months ago. Newsaccess was founded in 2005, employs around twenty people and uses PR monitoring and analysis tools to help clients track and evaluate press, broadcast and online content, and analyse results of PR spend.

According to legal web site www.lexology.com , the case is notable because the proposed acquisition fell below the financial thresholds for mandatory notification, but the CCPC 'became aware of the proposed sale and contacted the parties, advising them to notify the transaction'. Among the concerned parties requesting a review were the country's PR specialists, via industry body the PRII who spoke out in June.

The CCPC sought to answer the concern that Kantar Media would be 'removing its closest and most substantial competitor from the market' by requiring it to submit a number of proposals - these include divesting Newsaccess' fixed assets to a new supplier; releasing a number of its clients from their fixed term contracts; non-enforcement of competition clauses for former Newsaccess staff aiming to work for existing or new rivals; and others including the maintenance of pricing levels for customers of Newsaccess for a period of one year.

CCPC Chair Isolde Goggin comments: 'We are satisfied following our extensive investigation, and in light of the binding commitments which we have sought and secured, that we have safeguarded competition in this sector'.

Web sites: www.kantarmedia.com and www.newsaccess.ie .