Formpress Publishing has received preliminary approval from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) to acquire D&D Media, proprietor of the Inishowen Independent. This transaction, however, is not yet final as it requires an additional nod from the Minister for Media.
Formpress Publishing, recognised for having ownership over close to 20 local and regional newspaper titles throughout Ireland such as the Donegal Democrat and Donegal Post, placed a bid for the Buncrana-based Inishowen Independent and the Inishowenindo.ie site in the spring. The publisher is a subsidiary of the Iconic Media group, one of the largest regional publishers in Ireland, with established titles in hand such as the Leitrim Observer, Mayo News, Derry News, Dundalk Democrat, Kilkenny People, Leitrim Leader and Midland Tribune.
Media company mergers have to be announced to the CCPC irrespective of the scale of the entities involved. The Commission was informed of this suggested deal in April 2024. Subsequently in August, it was determined that a comprehensive investigation was necessary to ascertain whether the proposed acquisition would significantly affect competition within the State.
In the aftermath of the review, it was the CCPC’s judgement that the proposed transaction stands no risk of noticeably diminishing competition. Making its debut in 2007, the physical version of the Inishowen Independent comes to press every Tuesday.