ISBA Expresses ITV Digital Competition Concerns

ISBA has expressed the concern of advertisers that the sale of ITV Digital could result in consolidated control of the digital terrestrial and digital satellite platforms. The organisation claims that viewers and advertisers could be subject to a range of “gate-keeping” issues if this situation were to occur.

The group lays responsibility for the maintenance or enhancement of current levels of competition in digital TV at the door of the Government, the competition authorities and the sectoral regulator. However, it concedes that to maintain competition, the existence of the digital terrestrial platform is vital: “ISBA envisages and would support applications from a coalition of interested broadcasters, other individual media companies, or possibly even the re-purchase of key ITV Digital assets out of receivership by ITV itself” it said in a statement today.

A swift conclusion to the situation is desirable, according to ISBA, as the loss of subscribers which could result from a prolonged period of uncertainty would not just represent a loss to ITV Digital and the future owners of the service, but also to the “overall digital viewing population”, which would not be in the interests of advertisers.

ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk

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