Colombia. In 2009, during the negotiation of the extension of the contracts to the private channels of open signal of Colombia, Caracol and RCN, a controversy arose because the two channels alleged that when the third channel came into operation, which was scheduled for a year later, they would no longer have the exclusivity of the advertising guideline and and the cost of the extension should fall.
With this argument, the National Television Commission, then in charge of the process, agreed that the two channels, which had paid for the extension 187,184 million pesos each, should be returned 49,000 million pesos to each in order to avoid future lawsuits.
But over the years and the third channel was not delivered and having to start the process from scratch, the National Television Commission decided to initiate a process before an arbitration tribunal in order for the two channels to return those monies.
This week the court ruled in favor of the entity, which is now the National Television Authority. In total, Caracol and RCN will have to return 65,000 million pesos, adjusting the cost of the extensions of the operating contracts without the third channel.
It is still expected what the response of the directives of both channels will be, who have a last resort before the Council of State if they want to appeal the decision.
