The Department of Justice will now have sole oversight over the antitrust portion of radio mergers. The DOJ and the Federal Trade Commission have finalized a new division of labor for which industries each agency will review proposed transactions for potential anti-competitive practices. The point is to shorten the time it takes to review proposed transactions.
Although both the FTC and DOJ have expertise in reviewing media mergers, FTC Chairman Timothy Muris stated primary enforcement in media and entertainment industry would go to the DOJ, “because its expertise in this area far outweighs that of the FTC.”
The FCC will still look at radio transactions to determine if they meet the public interest. The DOJ weighs in when the dollar amount of the potential merged entity meets a threshold that triggers antitrust review.
The DOJ and FTC delayed putting the plan into effect until Congress had been appraised.
DOJ Ranks Over FTC on Radio Deals
DOJ Ranks Over FTC on Radio Deals
