Press Releases
Press releases issued by the Antitrust Division from 1979 through 2008 are found in this section of the site.
To find releases published beginning in 2009, please visit the Antitrust Division Press Releases page.
1997 Press Releases
December
December 30, 1997
General Electric Cleared to Go Forward With
Merger After it Agrees to Grant License to Competitor
Alcoa Abandons Purchase of Reynolds Aluminum
Can Stock Plant
December 29, 1997
Justice Department Challenges Alcoa's Purchase
of Reynolds' Aluminum Stock Plant
December 22, 1997
Charged With International Conspiracies, Three
Companies Pay Second Largest Fine in Antitrust History
December 18, 1997
Nebraska Man Charged in Scheme to Rig Bids on
Cattle Purchases
December 17, 1997
French Company Agrees to Pay $2.5 Million Fine
for Participating in International Price Fixing Conspiracy
DOJ Moves to Hold Microsoft in Contempt and
Asks Judge to Enforce Injunction
December 16, 1997
Ohio Food Service Contractors Agree to Dissolve
Joint Venture That Inflated Prices for Head Start Meal Program
Nebraska Cattle Buyer Pleads Guilty in Scheme
to Rig Bids for the Purchase of Cattle
Antitrust Division Names New Chief of Staff
December 11, 1997
Federal Court Orders Microsoft to Stop its "Tying"
Practices
December 10, 1997
Justice Recommends FCC Deny BellSouth Long Distance
Application in Lousiana
December 9, 1997
Justice Department Reaches Record Agreement
with NationsBank
November
November 24, 1997
Reno, Klein Unveil First-Ever Committee to Attack
Anticompetitive Cartels
November 20, 1997
Justice Department Allows Joint Purchasing of
Electric Power by Group of California Manufacturers
November 19, 1997
Justice Department Requires Voting Machine Manufacturers
to Sell Off Voting Tabulation Business in Order to Merge
November 13, 1997
Two Miami Area Scrap Metal Companies, Four Executives
Indicted in Price Fixing Conspiracy
November 6, 1997
Justice Department Sues to Block Chancellor
Media Corp.'s Acqisition of SFX Broadcasting's Long Island Radio Stations
Former Executive of Russell-Stanley Corporation
Charged With Perjury
Former Executive of a Dallas Explosives Company
Indicted in Price Fixing Conspiracy in Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana
November 4, 1997
Justice Department Recommends That FCC Deny
BellSouth Long Distance Application in South Carolina
November 3, 1997
Justice Department Will Not Challenge Joint
Venture Between HMO and Physician Organization in Northeastern Pennsylvania
October
October 24, 1997
Estimator For New Jersey Construction Company
Indicted for Wire Fraud
October 23, 1997
Connoisseur Communications Gets Justice Department
Clearence to Acquire Two Youngstown, Ohio Radio Stations After Selling
Two Others
October 20, 1997
Justice Department Charges Microsoft with Violating
1995 Court Order
October 17, 1997
Justice Department Reaches Agreement With Wachovia
and Central Fidelity for Divestitures in Three Virginia Markets
October 16, 1997
Justice Department Requires Divestitures as
Condition of Raytheon's Acquisition of Hughes Aircraft
October 2, 1997
Justice Department Requires Raytheon to Sell
Key Electronics Businesses in Order to Go Forward with Its Hughes Aircraft
Deal
September
September 30, 1997
New Jersey Ammunition Manufacturer Charged with
Bid Rigging
Four Rochester Area Utility Construction Companies
and Their Executives Indicted in Bid Rigging Conspiracy
September 24, 1997
Two Dutch Companies Plead Guilty to International
Price Fixing: Sentenced to Pay $10 Million Criminal Fine
September 23, 1997
Wisconsin Advertising Display Company and Two
Top Executives Agree to Plead Guilty and Pay Over $9 Million for Rigging
Bids and Fixing Prices in Brewery Contracts
September 18, 1997
Antitrust Division Names Two Additions to Leadership
Team
September 10, 1997
Justice Department Urges Department of Education
to Remove School Credit Transfer Barriers Imposed by Regional Accrediting
Agency
Justice Department Urges Kentucky Bar to Allow
Non-Lawyers to Participate in Real Estate Closings
September 3, 1997
Cleveland Explosives Company Executive Indicted
in Price Fixing Conspiracy in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana
Justice Department Requires Mid-America Dairymen
Inc. to Sell Borden/Meadow Gold Dairies in Order for Deal to go Forward
Justice Department Allows Telecommunications
Company to Exchange Defaulted Residential Account Information
August
August 29, 1997
Justice Department Approves Clear Channel Communications'
Acquisition of Paxson Communications
August 25, 1997
Justice Department Approves Dundee Realty USA
as Buyer for Colorado's Arrapahoe Basin Ski Area
August 22, 1997
Justice Department Approves Tyco International's
Acquisition of Keystone International
Justice Department Requires Sale of Pittsburgh
Landfill in Settlement with USA Waste/United Waste Systems
August 15, 1997
Justice Department Approves Outdoor Systems
Inc.'s Acquisition of 3M's Subsidiary, National Advertising
August 14, 1997
Northern Virginia Real Estate Speculator Indicted
In Bid Rigging Scam
August 8, 1997
Nutrite Corp. Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Pay
$1.5 Million Fine for Price Fixing
August 6, 1997
Statement of Attorney General Janet Reno and
Assistant Attorney General Joel I. Klein on the President's Nomination
of Michael K. Powell as FCC Commissioner
August 1, 1997
Antitrust Division Statement Regarding Microsoft/Web
TV Merger
July
July 30, 1997
Former Executive of One of the World's Largest
Commercial Explosives Companies Charged with Bid Rigging
Justice Department Will Not Challenge Proposal
by a Group of Physicians in Vermont to Form a Joint Venture
Justice Department Asks Court to Modify 1950
ASCAP Settlement
Justice Department Approves Proposal by Construction
Trade Association to Require Members to Comply with Certification Standards
July 17, 1997
Statement of Attorney General Janet Reno on
the Confirmation of Eric H. Holder, Jr. and Joel I. Klein
July 16, 1997
Former Executive of Rochester, New York Area
Construction Firm Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging Conspiracy
July 14, 1997
Justice Department and Texas Attorney General
Require Sale of Landfill Space in Settlement With Allied and USA Waste
July 8, 1997
Justice Department Charges Pennsylvania Company
With Conspiring to Allocate and Rig Bids on Bridge Inspection and Structural
Rigging Services
July 7, 1997
Justice Department Concludes Proposed Gastroenterologists
Merger Poses Substantial Risk of Competitive Harm
Justice Department Asks Court to Modify and
Extend Previous British Telecom/MCI Settlement After Reviewing New Deal
July 2, 1997
Justice Department Requires Raytheon and Texas
Instruments to Divest Key Unit Before Approval of Their $2.9 Billion
Merger
June
June 26, 1997
Justice Department Approves Proposal for Joint
Licensing of Patents Essential for Meeting Video Technology Standard
Used in Electronics and Broadcast Industries
June 25, 1997
Justice Department Recommends to FCC That It
Deny Ameritech's Application to Provide Long Distance in Michigan
June 24, 1997
Justice Department Sues New York's Rochester
Gas & Electric Co. Over Anticompetitive Agreement With the University
of Rochester
June 23, 1997
Illinois Display Co. and Top Executive Agree
to Plead Guilty and Pay $450,000 in Fines for Rigging Bids and Fixing
Prices on Brewery Contracts
June 19, 1997
German and Brazillian Piston Cos. Pay Record
$5.6 Million Penalty for Violating Antitrust Premerger Notification
Requirements
June 18, 1997
Correction--Antitrust Press Release
Justice Department Reaches Settlement
With Connecticut Fertilizer Co. That Prevents Company From Continuing
Collusive Practices
June 11, 1997
Justice Department Sues to Block Long Island
Hospital Combination
June 10, 1997
Justice Department Will not Challenge Joint
Venture of New Mexico Orthopedic Specialists
June 2, 1997
Justice Department Requires Louisiana Advertising
Company to Divest Billboards in Four Southeastern Metro Areas As Condition
of Merger
May
May 30, 1997
Justice Department Approves Proposal by Escalator
Industry to Develop Improved Safety Standards
Laroche Industries Inc. Pleads Guilty To Price
Fixing, Pays $1.5 Million
May 27, 1997
Martin Marietta Materials Agrees to Divestiture
in Order to Acquire American Aggregates
May 20, 1997
Justice Department Approves Proposal by Russell-Stanley
Corp. to Be Prime Contractor for Industrial Steel Drums Sold in U.S.
Justice Department Approves Fish Catchers/Processors
Proposal to Allocate Amongst Themselves the Amount of Government-Regulated
Pacific Whiting They Can Harvest
May 16, 1997
Justice Department Recommends to FCC That it
Reject SBC Communications' Application to Provide Long Distance in OK
May 15, 1997
Wisconsin Executive Charged with Price Fixing
on Metal Building Insulation Sold in Texas
April
April 29, 1997
Southern National and United Carolina Bancshares
Agree to Sell 20 North Carolina Bank Branches to Gain Justice Department
Approval of Their Merger
April 28, 1997
Justice Department Asks European Communities
to Investigate Possible Anticompetitive Conduct Affecting U.S Airlines'
Computer Reservation Systems
April 25, 1997
Minnesota, Iowa Dairies Agreed to Plead Guilty
and Will Each Pay $1 Million for Participating in Milk Price Fixing
Conspiracy
April 24, 1997
Antitrust Division Statement Regarding Bell
Atlantic/Nynex Merger
Justice Department Urges FCC to Adopt Reforms
of Its Access Charge Rules to Increase Competition
April 23, 1997
Justice Department Approves Petroleum Exploration
and Production Joint Research and Development Proposal
April 21, 1997
Justice Department Requires Sell Off of Salt
Assets in Settlement With Salt Producers Cargill and Akzo
April 17, 1997
International Enforcement to Be Boosted by New
Agreement With Australia
April 16, 1997
Justice Department Will Not Challenge Merger
of Baton Rouge Surgeons
Justice Department Will Not Challenge Merger
of Two Mobile, Alabama, Orthopedic Groups
April 8, 1997
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission
Announce Revisions to Merger Guidelines
April 1, 1997
Statement by Attorney General Janet Reno on Impending Television Advertisements for Hard Liquor
March
March 31, 1997
Justice Department and Seven State Attorneys
General Approve Sale of Thomson Corp. Legal Publishing Products to Reed-Elsevier
Inc.
March 28, 1997
New Hampshire Asphalt Co. Abandons Plans to
Buy Plants in Vermont and New Hampshire After Justice Department Expresses
Concerns
March 26, 1997
Justice Department's Ongoing Probe Into the
Food and Feed Additives Industry Yields $25 Million More in Criminal
Fines
March 20, 1997
Justice Department Issues 1996 Annual Supplement
to the "Digest of Business Reviews"
March 18, 1997
First Circuit Court of Appeals Reverses Lower
Court's Decision to Dismiss Indictment in Fax Paper Antitrust Case
First Virginia and Premier Agree to Sell off
Three VA. Bank Branches Worth $44.3 Million to Gain Justice Approval
March 7, 1997
Judge Approves Thomson/West Settlement
March 6, 1997
Gulfstar Communications Abandons Purchase of
Three Arkansas Radio Stations After Justice Department Expresses Antitrust
Concerns
February
February 27, 1997
Justice Department Requires American Radio Systems
Corp. to Divest Radio Stations in Calofornia and North Carolina
February 26, 1997
Justice Charges Ohio Parts Company With Rigging
Bids on Surplus Military Goods
February 20, 1997
Justice Reaches Settlement with Rhode Island
Dental Insurer That Prohibits Agreements That Discourage Discounting
February 18, 1997
Owner of Texarkana, Texas Box Company Charged
With Procurement and Mail Fraud
February 13, 1997
Figgie International and its Former Ceo Will
Pay Civil Penalties for Violating Antitrust Premerger Reporting Requirements
February 12, 1997
Justice Department Will Not Challenge Proposal
to Form Provider Network in Santa Fe, New Mexico
February 11, 1997
Justice Will Not Challenge Joint Venture of
Marin County, California Hospitals
Justice Charges 10 West Coast Commercial Crab
Fishermen with Price Fixing
February 5, 1997
Justice Department Approves Palm Beach, Florida
Flight Support Services Merger
Toledo Company and Manager of Rival Firm Charged
January
January 29, 1997
Justice Department's Ongoing Probe Into the
Food and Feed Additives Industrly Yields Second Largets Fine Ever
January 23, 1997
Long Island Display Materials Manufacturer and
Former Salesman Charged With Conspiring to Defraud the IRS
January 17, 1997
Justice Department Allows Group of Attorneys
to Provide Legal Representation to Construction Industry Clients On
a Refundable Flat Fee Basis
January 9, 1997
Former Alcoholic Beverages Purchasing Agent
in Florida & Michigan Charged in New York with Conspiring to Commit
Mail Fraud
January 6, 1997
Justice Allows Georgia-based Retail Price
Auditing Co. To Buy and Publish Lists of Product Shelf Prices
January 3, 1997
Colorado Ski Resort Merger Approved With Conditions
To Keep Prices Lower for Skiers
