SOUTHAM DEALT A SETBACK
By Adnews Staff
Media-giant Southam Inc. has been dealt a blow in its bid to buy community newspapers in B.C. The Federal Court of Appeal ordered the federal Competition Tribunal to review its 1992 decision to allow Toronto-based Southam to buy a Vancouver area newspaper chain. Three years ago, the tribunal denied a request by the Competition Bureau for an order forcing Southam to sell two of the papers, the Vancouver Courier and the North Shore News. Southam also owns two Vancouver dailies, The Sun and The Province. The bureau felt that allowing Southam to control the two community publications would lessen competition for advertising in B.C.'s lower mainland. Mr. Justice Joseph Robertson said the tribunal did not review all the evidence to see if the purchase would substatially lessen competition. In 1989 and 1990, Southam bought a controlling interest in 13 community newspapers, a real estate advertising publication and several distribution and printing businesses in Vancouver and surrounding communities.