Spain: El País editors push for greater TV competition

Prisa Editorial Group, owners of Spain’s premier newspaper, El País, has filed a complaint with the CNMC against the granting of licenses for transmitting High Definition television to the Real Madrid Club de Futbol, Atresmedia Corporación and Mediaset España. Prisa urged the country’s regulator to revise their granting of these licenses on competition grounds.

The editorial company pointed out that the agreement imposes obstacles to effective competition by reinforcing the Mediaset/Atresmedia duopoly, which already controls 86% of all TV advertising space.

Spanish authorities have repeatedly fined both companies, for amounts of up to EUR 18 million, and started various proceedings against Atresmedia over alleged abuses of their dominant position in the market. With the granting of these new licenses for Digital Terrestrial Transmission (TDT), the two media giants will together control 13 out of 21 private channels.

Source: La República

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