Bundeskartellamt clears participation of Signa Medien in the publisher of “Ostthüringer Zeitung”

Date of issue:29.03.2022

The Bundeskartellamthas cleared the intended acquisition by SIGNA Medien based in Innsbruck (Austria) of 40 per cent of the shares and thus joint control of the publishers of "Ostthüringer Zeitung" in the first phase of merger control.

SIGNA Medien will take over its participation from Rheinisch-Westfälische Verlagsgesellschaft. The remaining 60 per cent of the shares in "Ostthüringer Zeitung" will continue to be held by a company of Funke Mediengruppe.

In September 2021 the Bundeskartellamtprohibited the acquisition by Funke Mediengruppeof the shares from Rheinisch-Westfälische Verlagsgesellschaftand thus sole control of "Ostthüringer Zeitung" (see press release of 28 September 2021). This decision was guided by the fact that Funke Mediengruppeis also the publisher of "Thüringische Landeszeitung", whose circulation area overlaps with that of "Ostthüringer Zeitung" in the Jena and Gera regions. Their merger would have eliminated the remaining competition between regional dailies in these regions.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt: "SIGNA Medien acquires the legal position of the former co-shareholder and, like its predecessor, the company is currently not active on the relevant press markets in Thuringia. In contrast to Funke's acquisition project, a deterioration of the conditions of competition is not expected in this case."

Press release (pdf)