Share

Media24 heading to Competition Tribunal

Johannesburg - Media24 is expected to appear before the Competition Tribunal in Pretoria on Wednesday for allegedly pushing a competitor out of the community advertising market on purpose.

The case against Media24, which was brought to the tribunal by the Competition Commission, surrounds the demise of competitor Gold-Net News, which operated between 2004 and 2009.

Media24 allegedly positioned a competing community newspaper, Goudveld Forum, in opposition to Gold-Net News and ran the newspaper at a loss until Gold-Net News' closure.

The commission alleged that after the closure, Media24 closed down Goudveld Forum and either retrenched its staff or redeployed them to other Media24 publications.

One of those publications was Vista, which operated in the same geographic area as Gold-Net News and Goudveld Forum.

Media24 has denied the commission's allegations and said Goudveld Forum covered its costs between 2004 and 2009.

The company also said it was not true that Goudveld Forum was kept open so it could deter competition against Vista.

Media24 also denied that Gold-Net News closed down due to anti-competitive strategies on its part, citing the 2008 economic downturn and other possible reasons for Gold-Net News's decline and subsequent closure.

The area of operations in which the complaint arose is what the commission terms the Goldfields area.

The Goldfields area consists of the towns of Welkom, Odendaalsrus, Allanridge, Riebeeckstad, Virginia, Hennenman, Bronville, Jerusalem, Wesselsbron, Bultfontein, Theunissen, Ventersburg, Thabong, Meloding, Kutluanong, and Phomolong.

The tribunal's hearing is expected to take place over 10 days in November, starting on November 6 and ending on November 29.

The case against Media24 is the first of its kind brought by the commission to the Competition Tribunal in its 14-year history.

* Fin24 is part of Media24.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.97
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.95
-0.3%
Rand - Euro
20.49
-0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.37
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.4%
Platinum
907.94
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.30
+1.3%
Gold
2,213.20
+0.8%
Silver
24.81
+0.7%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,312
+0.9%
All Share
74,502
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,145
+2.7%
Industrial 25
103,988
+0.7%
Financial 15
16,481
-0.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders