The British government ordered a new investigation today, Friday, into a plan supported by Abu Dhabi to acquire the widely circulated British newspaper "The Telegraph," marking its second intervention after reviewing the deal by Reed Bird IMI to allay concerns about foreign interference in one of the country's oldest daily newspapers. British Media Minister Lucy Fraser stated, "The information received by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport this week, indicating that Reed Bird made amendments to the corporate structure of the entities potentially acquiring Telegraph Media Group, suggests that these (amendments) have created a favorable position."
The government decided to intervene in the acquisition process for public interest reasons, requesting the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom to investigate Reed Bird's amended proposal and its impact on editorial policy and freedom of expression. Reed Bird made last-minute adjustments to the corporate structure through which it intends to control The Telegraph and The Spectator, just before the deadline for submitting the report on the original deal by the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom. Regulatory bodies are expected to provide their new report on the amended deal by March 11.
