Preliminary judgement of IFT investigating authority concludes that the economic interest group led by Grupo Televisa has substantial power on restricted TV market (Press Release 19/2015)
Preliminary judgement of IFT investigating authority concludes that the economic interest group led by Grupo Televisa has substantial power on restricted TV market
In compliance with the provisions of Section V of Article 96 of the Federal Law of Economic Competition (Ley Federal de Competencia Económica, LFCE), the Investigating Authority issued the Preliminary Judgement regarding the existence of operators with significant power in the relevant market in the provision of the television and audio restricted service.
Also the research was conducted based on the mandate in Thirty Ninth Transitional Article of the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law.
Of the elements analyzed during the investigation period, it is concluded that the relevant market is for the provision of television services and restricted audio through any transmission technology with a local geographic dimension, taking as a geographical unit study the municipio[1] for the whole country, except for the Federal District, in which case a single geographic market was defined and which includes 16 boroughs that comprise it.
Similarly, it is concluded that the economic interest group where Grupo Televisa is part of, has substantial power in 2,124 relevant markets.
The economic agents evidencing an interest in the matter, may manifest what serves their interests and provide the evidence that would consider relevant to the Preliminary Opinion, within twenty working days following the publication in the Official Gazette of the Federation of Preliminary Opinion Relevant Data.
The IFT Economic Competence Unit will initiate a procedure as trial in which all parties with legal interest may offer evidence and arguments. This phase will conclude with the presentation of a draft resolution which, in turn, will be submitted for the consideration of the Plenary, so that, if appropriate, it can rule on the existence of substantial power on the basis of the Federal Economic Competition Law.
From that decision of the Plenary, corresponds to the Regulatory Policy Unit in contribution with Economic Competition Unit, to conduct the procedure in terms of the Federal Telecommunications and Broadcasting Law to issue the necessary measures to promote competition in these markets.
[1] It was derived from the catalog of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI), Geostatistics Municipal Area level by 2013.
