Portugal

[PT] Lack of Legislation on Media Concentration

IRIS 2001-3:1/22

Helena Sousa

Communication and Society Research Centre, University of Minho

On January 2001, the Alta Autoridade para a Comunicação Social (High Authority for the Media) has expressed concern regarding the "poor expression or non-existence" of regulation about horizontal, vertical and multi-media concentration in Portugal. The High Authority was asked by the Direcção-Geral do Comércio e da Concorrência (Government Competition Agency) to clarify its position on the recent acquisition of one of the most important Portuguese media groups, Lusomundo, by the biggest national telecommunications operator, Portugal Telecom. Lusomundo group has significant interests in the distribution and exhibition of movies, television rights, video, video-games and the media, namely radio, press (national and regional) and cable television. Portugal Telecom, on the other hand, is the most important economic group in Portugal. By Portuguese standards, Portugal Telecom has exceptional financial capabilities and is rapidly expanding its activities to third countries (e.g. Brazil).

The economic importance of the Portugal Telecom group has led the High Authority for the Media to consider that the editorial integrity of media companies of the Lusomundo group might eventually be at stake. However, the High Authority recognises that it does not have the most adequate legal instruments at its disposal to make a more significant deliberation on the issue, and it states that it will follow this and other concentration processes with the utmost attention.