(a) Persons desiring to obtain the approval of the Attorney General of a joint newspaper operating arrangement after July 24, 1970, shall file an application in writing setting forth a short, plain statement of the reasons why the applicants believe that approval should be granted.

(b) With the request, the applicants shall also file copies of the following:

(1) The proposed joint newspaper operating agreement;

(2) Any prior, existing or proposed agreement between any of the newspapers involved, or a statement of any such agreements as have not been reduced to writing;

(3) With respect to each newspaper, for the 5-year period prior to the date of the application,

(i) Annual statements of profit and loss;

(ii) Annual statements of assets and liabilities;

(iii) Reports of the Audit Bureau of Circulation, or statements containing equivalent information;

(iv) Annual advertising lineage records;

(v) Rate cards;

(4) If any amount stated in paragraph (b)(3)(i) or (ii) of this section represents an allocation of revenues, expenses, assets or liabilities between the newspaper and any parent, subsidiary, division or affiliate, the financial statements shall be accompanied by a full explanation of the method by which each such amount has been allocated.

(5) If any of the newspapers involved purchased or sold goods or services from or to any parent, subsidiary, division or affiliate at any time during the five years preceding the date of application, a statement shall be submitted identifying such products or services, the entity from which they were purchased or to which they were sold, and the amount paid for each product or service during each of the five years.

(6) Any other information which the applicants believe relevant to their request for approval.

(c) A copy of the application and supporting data shall be open to public inspection during normal business hours at the main office of each of the newspapers involved in the arrangement, except to the extent permitted by nondisclosure orders under §48.5; except that materials for which nondisclosure has been requested under §48.5 need not be made available for inspection before the request has been decided.