(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided, any notice or advertisement required by this chapter to be published in a newspaper shall be published once a week for four weeks in the newspaper which is, on the date of the first such publication, the official organ (as determined pursuant to Code Section 9-13-142) of the county which is or is to be the location of the main office of the financial institution.
(b) The department may waive or modify any requirement to publish a notice:
(1) In order to facilitate a merger, consolidation, or sale of assets when one of the parties is a failed or failing bank as determined by the commissioner;
(2) Whenever it determines that the public benefit is not significantly served by a second or subsequent publication in a situation where a series of transactions would otherwise require multiple publications;
(3) Where a similar publication required by another state or federal regulator serves substantially the same purpose;
(4) By regulation or order, whenever it determines that a lesser number of publications will reduce administrative burden and will adequately serve the public benefit of the notice; or
(5) For other reasons of regulatory parity.
(c) The department may require proof of publication or modified publication having been completed prior to consummation of the
underlying transaction.