The UK government has ordered an investigation into the proposed £500 million acquisition of the Telegraph by Daily Mail and General Trust on public interest and competition grounds. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she intervened due to concerns that the transaction could affect the plurality of views in the UK media landscape. She stated that the need for a sufficient diversity of viewpoints in each news market and among those controlling media enterprises serving UK audiences justified the review. (BBC)
The Competition and Markets Authority will assess potential competition issues arising from the deal, while Ofcom will examine its public interest implications. Both authorities have been asked to report their findings to the government by 10 June.
DMGT, which also owns titles including the Daily Mail, the i Paper, New Scientist and Metro, agreed to acquire the Telegraph Media Group in November after a prolonged period of uncertainty surrounding its ownership. The Telegraph group was put up for sale in 2023 following debts owed by its previous owners, the Barclay brothers. A previous attempt to acquire the group by a consortium backed by Abu Dhabi’s ruling family was abandoned amid political concerns over foreign ownership.
DMGT said it would cooperate fully with regulators to secure completion of the transaction and argued that the acquisition would provide stability and certainty in a rapidly changing media industry. The company added that it remained committed to investing in the Telegraph’s journalists, preserving its editorial voice and accelerating its international expansion, particularly in the United States.