Colombia. On March 28, the Superior Court of Bogotá issued a ruling ordering the Caracol and RCN channels to deliver their high-definition signal to Telmex.
This telenovela broadcast its first episodes with the judicial process established by these channels, alleging unfair competition against Telmex, Telefónica, Directv, ETB and UNE, companies belonging to ANDESCO, who at the time said in a statement that "they respect the decision taken by the SIC, however, it is being appealed and therefore is not yet final."
Adding that, "television operators comply with the regulation of the ANTV, in order to guarantee the right to access to information contemplated in our National Constitution. However, given the current decision of the SIC, the ANTV will be called upon to indicate the way in which the aforementioned pronouncement must be complied with."
The statements of RCN Television and Caracol Television issued these days say:
"RCN Television is allowed to communicate to the public opinion, that by means of a judgment issued by the Superior Court of Bogotá, Civil Chamber, dated March 28, 2017, the process of unfair competition of RCN TELEVISIÓN against Telmex, Colombia Telecomunicaciones, Directv Colombia, ETB and UNE/EPM was decided in the second instance, and revoked the first instance ruling issued by the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce. That the Court ordered RCN TELEVISION to allow the retransmission of its open signals, both standard and high definition, through the subscription television services provided by these operators, without the prior and express authorization of RCN. RCN TELEVISION, although it expressly reserves its rights, since its full exercise does not renounce, will proceed in accordance with the order of the Court, allowing all subscription television operators to retransmit the standard and high definition signal, after verification of the technical conditions required for this purpose with each of them."
For its part, Caracol Televisión will deliver its HD television signal to Telmex in compliance with the ruling and informs that it will extend the delivery of said signal to all closed and community television operators in the country that request it, seeking with this determination "to preserve the right to equality between the different subscription television operators of the national territory". He added in his statement that the measure will be effective immediately and that the HD signal will be active as each operator that "meets the technical requirements for this purpose."
Will it be time for the ANTV or the ANE to determine who complies or not with the requirements requested by these private television channels? Let's hope it's not a stick in the wheel and users of these systems enjoy at least one good signal when crossing those channels at the time of zapping.
Text written by Luis Pinto, advisor of TVyVideo+Radio.
