Search results : 416

On 22 March 2005 the Autorità garante della concorrenza e del mercato (Italian Competition Authority - AGCM) opened an investigation in order to ascertain whether Mediaset abuses its dominant position in the broadcasting market with regard to the negotiation of sports rights. In the summer of 2004, Mediaset bought the exclusive rights to broadcast the home football matches of the following teams of the Italian Serie A and Serie B tournaments: Milan, Inter, Sampdoria, Livorno, Messina, Roma, Atalanta, Juventus from July 2004 to June 2007. In addition to the sports rights, Mediaset also bought connected...

The European Commission has formally closed procedures under EC Treaty State aid rules (article 88) probing into the financing mechanisms of public service broadcasters in three Member States. Italy, France and Spain have been the object of the Commission's scrutiny since the end of 2003. Its main concern was to ensure that no market distortion could arise from state aid granted to national broadcasters entrusted with the fulfilment of a public service mission. In its 2001 Communication on applying state aid rules to public service broadcasting, the Commission has clarified both what is to be defined...

On 2 March 2005 the Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (Italian Communications Authority - AGCOM) concluded the first analysis of the Italian broadcasting and advertising markets according to the Broadcasting Act no. 112/2004 (see IRIS 2004-6: 12) and adopted specific remedies to ensure pluralism in these markets. The proceeding was opened in October 2004 pursuant to art. 14 of law no. 112 and concluded that the concerned markets are still characterized by a duopolistic structure where RAI, RTI (controlled by Mediaset) and Publitalia (RTI's advertising agency) hold a position capable...

On 2 March 2005 the Italian Government signed a document of understanding containing specific guidelines aimed at enhancing the control of digital contents by redefining the tasks and obligations of operators and providers. The agreement, called “ Patto di Sanremo ”, from the city hosting the meeting, was signed by different ministries (among others the Ministries of Industry, Justice, Foreign Affairs and Education) on one side, and access providers, platform operators, producers and right-owners on the other. The “ Patto ” is founded on the “Digital Rights Management-Information Report”, a report...

On 10 December 2004, the Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (Italian Communications Authority ­ AGCOM) adopted the Guidelines on the provision of pay-tv services in accordance with article 1, paragraph 6, lit. b), n. 2, of the Communications Act no. 249/97, charging AGCOM with the power to determine the general quality standards of the services in the communications sector and the content of the Chart of services. According to these Guidelines, any operator offering pay-tv services on terrestrial or satellite frequencies or via cable, both on subscription as with pre-paid cards, has to...