The Commerce Commission has today published details of the conference it is holding on its draft determination of NZME and Fairfax’s application for authorisation under the Commerce Act to merge their media businesses.

The conference will be held on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 December at the Commission’s offices in Wellington, with the morning of Thursday 8 December set aside as a reserve session. The Notification of Conference and an indicative agenda can be found on the Commission’s website. The Commission will publish further details on more specific topics to be discussed at the conference on its website later this week.

The conference is an opportunity for the Commission to test its preliminary views of the proposed merger and written submissions received with NZME and Fairfax, interested parties and experts. The Commission will ask questions at the conference; there will not be an opportunity for parties to make general submissions.

As seating at the conference is limited, interested parties should advise the Commission as soon as possible of their intention to attend. Please note that numbers attending from any one organisation may have to be limited. To register, please put ‘Conference’ in the subject line and provide the names and position of those people who wish to attend to registrar@comcom.govt.nz by 12 noon Friday 2 December.

The bulk of the conference is open to the media, though again spaces will be limited. Media wishing to attend can register by emailing communications@comcom.govt.nz no later than 5pm on Friday 2 December.

Submissions on the Commission’s draft decision are now available on its website. The Commission has also extended its deadline for cross-submissions on the draft determination until 12 noon Monday 5 December 2016.