Broadcast News

Bookmark and Share
06/12/2000

OFT CONDUCT INQUIRY INTO BSKYB PAY-TV

THE Office of Fair Trading (OFT) are to conduct an inquiry under the auspices of the Competition Act into BSkyB’s activities regarding wholesale pay-tv.
The move follows an OFT review of undertakings given by the company in 1996 to meet concerns about competition in the market for wholesale pay-tv. BSkyB have been released from one undertaking which deals with conduct now regulated by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) and will shortly be released from another undertaking which only applies to analogue satellite tv.
The OFT will examine whether the company has infringed prohibitions in the new Competition Act. The Act, which came into force on March 1 this year, aims to prevent abuse of a dominant market position and the drawing up of agreements or concerted practices which have a damaging effect on competition in the UK.
Announcing the investigation, which is expected to take up to six months, the said that no assumption could be made at this stage on whether there had been an infringement.
The previous undertakings were amended in February 1999, with retrospective effect from October 1998. The amendments principally reflected the Director General’s decision to remove from the wholesale ratecard four of BSkyB’s basic channels, which were considered not to involve market power.
However, it is understood that the ratecard has been amended several times since the undertakings came into force.
(CD)
Solidmate Ltd Memory Card Hire London

Top Related Stories
Click here for the latest broadcast news stories.

05/01/2024
AGI Technology To Elevate The Storage Product Market
As 2023 concludes, AGI Technology, a Taiwanese storage brand, is set to elevate the storage product market with an unprecedented release. Shattering t
15/09/2023
Calrec To Unveil Solutions To The German Market At IBC 2023
At IBC 2023, Calrec is introducing its suite of cutting edge solutions to the German broadcast market for the first time. Via a new partnership with b
01/09/2023
FOR-A Brings Koala To Market
FOR-A is bringing to market Koala, a completely innovative approach to camera tracking. The device, designed and built by FOR-A Europe and available i
18/10/2023
Sky Ireland And Virgin Media Ireland Announce Wholesale Network Access Deal
Sky Ireland and Virgin Media Ireland have announced a wholesale network access deal, that will significantly enhance broadband services available to S
13/03/2023
ITV Launches Recovery Budget Planner Tool
ITV has alunched a Recovery Budget Planner tool for advertisers. Commissioned by ITV AdLabs, ITV’s commercial innovations umbrella, the free Recovery
07/12/2023
ACT Entertainment Expands Its Reach In The AV Technology Sector
ACT Entertainment continues to expand its reach in the AV technology sector with the acquisition of tvONE, a leading video processing, signal distribu
23/05/2023
ACT Entertainment To Offer Lighting Controllers From Visual Productions
ACT Entertainment is to begin offering lighting controllers from Amsterdam-based manufacturer Visual Productions to customers in the United States. Th
11/05/2001
BSKYB FREED FROM TWO UNDERTAKINGS
THE Office of Fair Trading have notified BSkyB that they need not observe two undertakings they gave in 1996. The OFT continues their wider Competitio
27/03/2024
Skyline Communications Partners With Otaritec
Skyline Communications is expanding its global reach with a strategic partnership with Otaritec, a leading technology provider based in Tokyo, Japan.
17/12/2001
BSKYB RESPOND TO OFT’S PROPOSED INFRINGEMENT DECISION
THE OFT has announced that it proposes to make a decision that BSkyB have behaved anti-competitively, infringing UK competition law. BSkyB now has the
07/10/2003
Carlton/Granada merger to go ahead
ITV giants Carlton and Granada have been given approval to merge by Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, subject to certain advertising sales
28/09/2005
OFT refers cinema merger to the competition commission
The OFT has referred the completed acquisition of Vue Entertainment Holdings (UK) Limited of A3 Cinema Limited (including its subsidiary, Ster Century
24/05/2005
OFT accepts competition commitments from TV Eye
The Office of Fair Trading has accepted binding commitments from TV Eye and its member broadcasters to amend certain arrangements regarding the sale o
20/12/2002
OFT find Sky not guilty of competition breaches
After a lengthy investigation into allegations of anti-competitive practises, the UK Office of Fair Trading have concluded a study into Sky's business
05/04/2002
OFT give BSkyB extra time over anti-competition charges
BSkyB have been given an extension by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to allow the corporation further time to respond to charges that it has acted i