CFC to probe monopolistic practices in pay TV market, says report

Mexico's anti-trust commission Cofeco (CFC) has launched a probe into potential monopolistic practices in the pay TV market, CNN Expansión reported. The CFC declined to comment on the issue as the investigation is not yet public, but a publication in the official gazette on December 20 indicated that the probe in "potential monopolistic practices to be investigated" fell under article 90, section III of the federal competition law. According to the report, the CFC will investigate an area of the market related to the production, distribution and sale of pay TV services, a segment where Televisa has a 55% market share through its units Sky, Cablemás, Cablevisión and TVI. "I think all points to Televisa," Salomon Padilla, VP of small cable TV operators association ARTM, was quoted as saying. Padilla said the probe might have risen from a rumor in the press that Televisa had acquired cable operator Cablecom without notifying the CFC. Cablecom has reportedly denied the rumor. Any probe would take 30-120 days.