Some believe the crisis in the regional newspaper industry will lead to more consolidation in 2009, with companies able to force through the same kind of mergers as the banks by claiming the only alternative to takeovers would be closure of titles.
Scotland on Sunday has run a story by Terry Murden saying that Trinity Mirror is "understood to be lobbying for a relaxation of the media ownership rules so newspaper groups can merge their regional titles".
Murden quotes analysts at JP Morgan stating: "We worry that without a relaxing of M&A (mergers and acquisitions] rules, the worsening financial situation of some newspaper publishers could eventually force them into trouble with debt and lead to more local title closures – precisely what the Government aims to avoid."
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