"We have not been formally notified by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce that they have officially accepted our application for the merger," said Jing Lu, a spokeswoman for Focus Media.
Both firms have told Chinese media recently that they have complied with the ministry's request for more information and are preparing additional documents.
But some analysts say they don't expect the deal to pass, given the prolonged delay.
(Shanghai Daily July 17, 2009)
