A political struggle at the highest level is developing over the upcoming award of six TV licences in Spain.
According to El Economista, the Prime Minister Mariono Rajoy has effectively taken control of the process, which has until now been in the hands of Soraya Sáenz de Santamaria, the deputy prime minister, by requiring José Manuel Soria, the minister of industry, to accompany her to all meetings.
Rajoy is trying to secure control of the media in what is a full internal battle in the government.
Sáenz de Santamaria announced a tender for three HD and three SD licences on April 17, with the plan being for stakeholders to submit their proposals by today (May 28). However, this is now in doubt.
Her aim, according to unnamed sources, was to see two licences each awarded to the two major TV groups in Spain – Atresmedia and Mediaset – and one each to Prisa and 13 TV, controlled by the Episcopal Conference.
However, there were other parties interested in bidding, including Vocento, the owner of Net TV with Disney Channel; Secuoya; Mediapro, in partnership with Al Jazeera; and Real Madrid.
The licences would have been awarded this October, a month before the next general election in Spain.
The initial plan by Sáenz de Santamaria had been to allow major TV broadcasters to recover DTT channels that they had taken away in May 2014.
The fate of eight others is currently in the balance, with a decision on their future in the hands of the Supreme Court.
Significantly, as reported in Broadband TV News, the latest developments coincide with the imposition of a number of fines by the regulator CNMC on Atresmedia and Mediaset for violating advertising rules.
