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The Latvian Competition Authority has concluded an investigation into SIA Lattelecom, the company introducing digital terrestrial television into Latvia, without finding an abuse of its dominant position. As previously reported (see IRIS 2010-4/33) the Competition Authority was investigating complaints that SIA Lattelecom (Lattelecom) had abused its dominant position in the implementation of digital terrestrial broadcasting. One complaint alleged that Lattelecom charged television broadcasters unfair prices for the inclusion of their channels in the free-to-air package. Another complaint argued...

The Latvian legislator has adopted amendments to the Likums Par presi un citiem masu informācijas līdzekļiem (Law on Press and Other Mass Media), which inter alia require the revealing of the true owners of media and confirm the objective to safeguard editorial independence. As previously reported (see IRIS 2011-5/31) the Latvian Saeima (Parliament) is reviewing amendments to the Law, which would require printed and electronic media to reveal their true beneficial owners. On 22 September 2011 the Saeima adopted the amendments in the third and last reading. The final amendments to the Law include...

On 19 July 2011 the European Commission sent requests for information in the form of letters of formal notice, the first step in the process of an EU infringement procedure, to 20 EU member states. The member states in question, namely Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain, have not yet notified to the Commission measures to implement the new EU Telecoms Package, formally adopted after two years of heated negotiations at the end of 2009...

The Latvian legislator is considering an amendment to the Likums Par presi un citiem masu informācijas līdzekļiem (Act on Press and Other Mass Media), which would require the revealing of the true media owners. Currently, the Act does not impose any special requirements on printed or electronic media regarding the revealing of their owners. The legal owners of media, similar to owners of other companies, may be discovered at the Companies Register of the Republic of Latvia. However, the Companies Register contains information on the direct shareholders only. Thus, if the direct owner of a media...

On 13 November 2010 the Latvian Competition Council (CC) adopted a decision allowing the merger of the two largest cable TV operators in Latvia, the Baltkom Group and the Izzi Group. The case is interesting in terms of the market definition provided, as well as taking into account that the merger was allowed despite the fact that it will result in the market power of the new merged cable operator. In its market analysis the CC had to establish whether the pay-television market constitutes a single relevant product market, or whether it should be divided into separate relevant product markets according...