Probe into merger of free sheets

THE Competition Authority (CA) is conducting a full investigation into plans by once bitter rivals to merge Dublin free sheets Metro and Herald AM.

The Competition Authority (CA) hopes to make a decision on the proposed amalgamation of the Metro Ireland free newspaper, which is jointly owned by Daily Mail and General Trust and the Irish Times Limited (ITL), and INM Herald AM publication, by 26 November next.

The publishers proposals will result in one main free-sheet title for the greater Dublin area called Metro Herald, with a daily print run of 70,000 copies.