The Department of Trade and Industry said that Gannett, which owns the UK regional newspaper group Newsquest, has applied for the Secretary of State's consent to acquire SMG's newspapers and related assets under the special newspaper merger regime. The application falls under the mandatory reference provisions of the newspaper merger regime.
The Competition Commission will report on whether the acquisition is in the public interest. It will look particular at the need for accurate presentation of news and free expression of opinion.
It was revealed at the weekend that Gannett had won the battle for Scottish Media Group's newspaper business, which also includes the Glasgow-based Sunday Herald and Evening Times, with a £215m bid.
Gannett outbid Sir Anthony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media, which was the only other bidder left in the race.
Gannett, which also owns USA Today, is hoping to add the titles to its growing UK newspaper operation Newsquest, which comprises 300 weeklies and 15 regional dailies such as The Oxford Mail and The Argus in Brighton.
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