Bauer Media's acquisition of Irish radio group Communicorp was given the all-clear last week by the Minister For Media in Ireland, Catherine Martin, who concluded that the purchase was not contrary to the public interest in terms of protecting the plurality of media.
It means that national Irish stations Today FM and Newstalk, as well as local outlets Spin 1038 and 98FM in Dublin and Spin Southwest in Limerick, plus digital sport station Off The Ball, will now all become part of Bauer's ever-expanding radio empire.
Bauer's deal to buy Communicorp's main Irish media business was first announced in February. That deal previously received approval from the Broadcasting Authority Of Ireland and the country's Competition And Consumer Protection Commission.
Martin's backing of the deal means Bauer has now completed all phases of the regulatory approval process. It's now anticipated that the transaction will be fully completed by the end of the month.
Commenting on all that, Bauer's President Of Audio, Paul Keenan, said on Friday: "We are excited to be one step closer to entering Ireland".
Bringing the Communicorp stations into the group, he added, was "a fantastic addition to Bauer Media Audio". Plus, he went on, he "sees great opportunities to further develop the business" in Ireland, while also "continuing to play an important cultural role" in the country "with trusted news and talented presenters offered within well-known brands".