CorridorWatch.org also sends a Formal Complaint to Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice

Dear Mr. Stall:

Thank you for contacting the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. The Citizen Complaint Center has reviewed your complaint, and we have forwarded it to the appropriate legal staff for further review. We have your information on file and should the legal staff need further information, they may contact you in the future.

We appreciate your interest in the enforcement of federal antitrust laws.

Sincerely,

Citizen Complaint Center

Antitrust Division

Department of Justice

-----Original Message-----
From: David Stall - CorridorWatch.org [mailto:davidstall@corridorwatch.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 5:34 PM
To: Antitrust.Complaints@usdoj.gov
Subject: Macquaire Media Group acquisition of American Consolidated Media

The recent offer by Macquarie Media Group to purchase American Consolidated Media (including Valley Newspapers Holdings) raises considerable concern in Texas.

CorridorWatch.org represents thousands of members who reside in 199 counties across Texas who are challenging the wisdom of the Trans Texas Corridor.

We bring the following facts to your attention:

• Macquarie Media Group (MMG) and Macquarie Infrastructure Group (MIG) are subsidiaries of the same Australian parent company, Macquarie Bank.

• Macquarie Infrastructure Group is aggressively pursuing infrastructure investments in the Texas. Together with their Spanish partner Cintra, Macquarie has already engaged in large projects including the Indiana Toll Road, Chicago Skyway, and 407 ETR. With Cintra having the lead role with Texas on TTC-35 it is certainly plausible that Macquarie is a potential financial partner as individual facility development agreements are negotiated. In such scenario Macquarie has a vested interest in seeing the TTC continue to move forward. (http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc_2007/CWA0701300.htm)

• This is the first newspaper acquisition ever initiated in North America by MMG. Interestingly the ACM newspaper holdings being purchased are heavily peppered along the routes actively under consideration for TTC-35 and TTC-69 toll roads through south, central and east Texas. (http://www.keeptexasmoving.com)
  

• Toll road projects in Canada, Illinois and Indiana, while not necessarily popular, have not generated the kind of vocal public opposition they have experienced in Texas.

• The TTC is wildly unpopular, particularly in rural Texas. TxDOT held 55 public hearings in the summer of 2006 which 13,632 attended. More than 90 percent of the 1,073 who spoke at those hearings did so in strong opposition. (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/traffic/archives/2006/08/post_57.html)

• Rural Texas is a very tough market to reach. Local radio and newspapers provide the only consistent and cost-effective coverage available. Organized and well funded pro-toll business and industry front groups like Texans for Reliable Safe Transportation have limited success in getting their pro-toll editorials into these community newspapers. (http://www.corridorwatch.org/ttc_2007/CW00000179.htm) Likewise, public relations efforts attempted directly by TxDOT have met with less than desired levels of acceptance when editors have declined to print pro-toll corridor materials submitted as editorial.
  

All of this generates more questions than answers.

Naturally our chief concern is that Macquarie Bank, though one of it's MMG subsidiary, has put itself in a position to attempt to manipulate public opinion by using a virtual monopoly of rural Texas media to improperly benefit another of it's subsidiaries, MIG.

Your consideration is appreciated.

Respectfully Submitted,

David Stall
CorridorWatch.org