A final decision on whether to allow New Zealand's two main media companies - NZME and Fairfax NZ - to merge has been delayed until March.

Despite the delay, the Commission intends to release a draft determination on its decision by early November to give an indication of its thinking.

Fairfax NZ and NZME have applied to merge. Photo: Tom Pullar-Strecker/Fairfax NZ.

NZME and Fairfax lodged their application on May 27 and the Commission has received a large number of submissions from interested parties.

'The proposed merger is complex and involves two-sided markets – advertisers on one side and consumers (readers) on the other,” says a statement released by the Commission yesterday.

'The Commission is continuing to assess the effects of the proposed merger on areas such as the provision of national, regional and local news content and information, including the impact on the quality, accuracy and range of the news media in New Zealand.”

In addition, the Commission is assessing whether the proposed merger would enable the parties to increase prices to advertisers and consumers.

Once the draft decision is released in November, the Commission will seek further submissions from interested parties.

'The decision-making timeframe allows for a public conference to be held in December should it be needed.

'A conference would be an opportunity for the Commission to test the views of NZME and Fairfax and interested parties on the issues raised in the Draft Determination.”

Following this, the Commission would then consider all submissions and publish its final decision on or before March 15, 2017.