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The new company is expected to go live in early June and will operate independently.
As part of the move, News UK’s three printing sites in Broxbourne. Hertfordshire, Knowsley, Merseyside, and Glasgow will be maintained.
DMG Media sites in Thurrock, Essex, and Dinnington, Sheffield, will close, although its Carn print site in Northern Ireland will remain unaffected.
Muntazir Dipoti, president of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), commented: “Newspapers are extremely important to Fed members, which is why we adopted our Pro Print strategy and why we welcome any development that ensures the sustainability of the printed word.
“This joint venture will do just that, as well as ensuring the continuation of a national network.
“We, therefore, welcome the Competition & Markets Authority’s decision.
“However, as the two publishers involved produce some of the UK’s biggest-selling newspaper titles, we will be monitoring developments carefully to ensure there is no detrimental impact to our members’ businesses.”
Dipoti added that between now and June, News UK and DMG Media must work with supply chain stakeholders on five key areas:
- Revisiting and resetting publisher cut-off times into wholesaler depots.
- Understanding current delivery shortcomings and the impact at retail level, particularly when bunching at wholesale results in late deliveries.
- Making sure arrival times into retail satisfy their customers’ needs.
- Ensuring news delivery providers are clearly identified and this guaranteed sale is prioritised.
- Reviewing and sharing their contingencies.
News UK EVP chief operating officer David Dinsmore said: “Consolidating print operations is vital to retaining a national network of print and distribution logistics and, crucially, supporting the unique plural media landscape in the UK.
“I’m delighted that the CMA has cleared the combination of our printing operations. This decision means that readers of all newspapers can expect to enjoy them for many years to come.”
DMG Media’s Julia Palmer-Poucher added: “We needed to make changes to our print capacity to underpin our commitment to our print titles and their readers.
“This was a difficult but necessary step to provide a sustainable future for our print operations.
“Whilst I am saddened that our sites will close, this decision ends a period of uncertainty and allows us to proceed.”
