A legal challenge to the Commerce Commission's decision stymieing a proposed merger between Fairfax Media and NZME is likely to be heard in October if all preliminary matters can be sorted out before then.
In its decision in May, the Commission said one joint company would concentrate ownership of newspapers in New Zealand to an 'unprecedented' extent.
A hearing in the High Court in Wellington this afternoon considered preliminary matters, including whether some of the material to be presented at the appeal hearing should be subject to confidentiality orders.
Justice Dobson reserved his decision on the matters raised.