The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has decided that Denis O'Brien's company Communicorp can buy Today FM and Highland Radio, but it has not approved the sale of FM104 to Communicorp.
Today FM, FM104 and Highland Radio had been offered for sale by British Group Emap and Mr O'Brien's company proposed to buy the stations for €200m.
The businessman already owns Newstalk, a share in East Coast Radio, Limerick's Spin South West and Dublin stations 98FM and Spin103.8.
After a lengthy meeting today, the BCI decided that buying three more stations gave rise to significant competition issues. They gave permission for Denis O'Brien's firm to buy two, saying 'an undue amount of communications media' could not belong to any one person or group.
Another consideration was whether the applicant would be able to 'influence opinion forming power'.
Following the decision, the National Union of Journalists has called on the Government to establish a commission to examine all aspects of media ownership in Ireland.
In a statement, Seamus Dooley, Irish Secretary of the NUJ, called on Mr O'Brien to confirm that Communicorp would recognise existing collective agreements and recognise the right of employees to trade union representation.
The NUJ is also asking that ministerial approval for the acquisition of the two stations should be dependant on commitments in relation to trade union recognition and employment standards.
Communicorp has not yet said what its next step will be, but largely that is out of the company's hands, as the purchase of Today FM and Highland Radio still have to be sanctioned by the Competition Authority.
And as they are media mergers the final say on the issue will go to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment, Micheál Martin.
