Media watchdog sees new environment for Springer/ProSiebenSat.1 merger
The environment for a new merger attempt by Axel Springer and ProSiebenSat.1 may be more favorable than it was about ten years ago, according to Germany's top media watchdog.
"The starting position has changed insofar as ProSiebenSat.1 has slightly lost audience shares and Springer has changed its portfolio," said the head of the Commission for Determining Concentration in the Media (KEK), Ralf Müller-Terpitz, in an interview with the Reuters news agency on Thursday. The legal and media expert did not want to comment on concrete prospects for an examination by the KEK. "If it comes to a merger, then we would have to take a very close look at it."
According to insiders, Springer and ProSiebenSat.1 are sounding out a deeper collaboration. The publisher of Bild and Welt already wanted to take over the TV station in 2005. But the deal fell through at the Federal Cartel Office and the KEK, which watches over diversity of opinion. "After all, we initially came to the same conclusions. But that doesn't necessarily have to be the case," said the KEK chairman, referring to 2005/06, when the competition watchdogs had banned the merger because of the threat of market power. The CEC had also refused to give its green light, arguing that the market power of the combined group would have been too great. However, in early 2014, the Federal Administrative Court overturned this assessment. (SDA)
