The UK government has ended public-interest reviews of two previously anticipated acquisitions of Telegraph Media Group, declining to send either proposal to a Phase 2 investigation after determining the arrangements covered by its notices were no longer active.
A letter dated Oct. 16 covers a notice issued Jan. 26, 2024, concerning RB Investco Limited’s anticipated acquisition of Telegraph Media Group Limited. It also addresses a notice issued Feb. 12, 2026, concerning Daily Mail and General Trust plc’s anticipated acquisition of Telegraph Media Group Holdings Limited.
The secretary of state declined to refer either transaction for a Phase 2 investigation. The decision also ended the legal force of both notices and their corresponding pre-emptive action orders.
The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) case records describe different public-interest grounds for the two reviews. The record for the 2024 notice identifies the need for accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion in newspapers. For the 2026 notice, the record lists plurality of views in news media and plurality of people controlling media enterprises.
The letter said nonconfidential reports from the CMA and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) on the anticipated transactions were published on GOV.UK.
