Colombia. The Communications Regulatory Commission, CRC, presented the results of the first phase of the "Analysis of Television Markets" project, included in its CRC Regulatory Agenda 2024-2025, which focuses on the identification and definition of new markets related to the television service, marking a significant milestone for the audiovisual industry in Colombia.
The initiative advanced by the Commission responds to the changes that have impacted the sector given the digital convergence that has transformed the way Colombians access and use the television service, generating new business models and market dynamics.
For the development of the analysis that made it possible to define the relevant markets, the CRC, with the support and participation of various actors in the communications sector, identified the services that can be considered substitutes for the television service or alternative services by users, resulting in the inclusion of three new markets:
(i) Retail distribution of content on national open television channels operated by private companies, with national reach,
(ii) Wholesale broadcast markets for national free-to-air television channels operated by private companies, and
(iii) Wholesale markets for the broadcasting of regional open television channels, with national reach.
With the definition of these markets, a new approach is established that will allow more effective regulation to promote competition in the sector.
"With this new definition of the relevant markets related to the television service, the CRC, in the second phase of this project, as well as in the development of the constant monitoring of the markets, will be able to carry out the necessary competition analyses to implement, modify or adjust the regulatory measures that allow correcting market failures, if detected, and that promote competition. With this project, the Commission continues to work on the establishment of a conducive regulatory framework that meets the needs and current market conditions for the benefit of television operators and viewers," explained Felipe Augusto Díaz Suaza, Commissioner and Executive Director (E) of the CRC.
