Virgin Media subscribers looking for a return of Sky’s basic channels could be in for a long wait. The High Court in London heard on Tuesday that the case between the two companies might continue for at least another year. Virgin is alleging that BSkyB is abusing its dominant position in the marketplace by increasing the amount it charges for channels including Sky News and Sky One, while putting the squeeze on third party broadcasters looking to use its own platform.
Andrew Morritt, Chancellor of the High Court has approved a timetable that includes a further pre-trial hearing in November and the exchange of documents in March 2008. Any trial is not likely to take place until several months later.
Meanwhile, interest in the purchase of Virgin Media is so far said to be muted. Virgin is likely to accept bids for the company through until early August following previous approaches from private equity firms.
