State aid: Commission finds Spain’s support for private TV broadcasters in breach of EU rules

On the 5 August 2016, the European Commission found that a Spanish scheme compensating terrestrial private broadcasters for carrying out parallel broadcasting during the digitisation of the terrestrial television signal to avoid service disruptions for viewers, is in breach of EU state aid rules.

The European Commission had opened an in-depth state aid investigation in April 2012 and it had been concluded that the measure selectively favoured terrestrial broadcasters as well as platform operators to the detriment of broadcasters and operators representing alternative platforms and thereby had distorted competition in the Single Market.

As no aid has been granted yet, no recovery will be required.

ESO: Background information: State aid: Commission finds Spain's support for private TV broadcasters in breach of EU rules http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-state-aid-commission-opens-in-depth-investigation-on-spanish-compensation-for-digital-terrestrial-broadcasters-to-free-digital-dividend/

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