Spain: Favourites emerge for 6 DTT licences
July 16, 2015
From David Del Valle in Madrid
Six groups are emerging as the most likely candidates to be awarded the six new DTT licences (3 x SD and 3 x HD) to be awarded in October 2015, namely Mediaset, Atresmedia, Group Secuoya, 13TV, Vocento and Real Madrid.
The emergence of the six effectively means that three other groups are likely to miss out: Prisa, Kiss and El Corte Ingles. Mediaset would win a new DTT licence totalling seven, with Atresmedia operating six as a whole, Vocento having a total of three licences. Group Secuoya and 13 TV would operate one each.
Nine bidders were finally accepted by the Ministry of Industry for the licences. In addition to the Spain’s large media groups, Mediaset and Atresmedia and others already known such as Prisa, 13TV, Grupo Secuoya (through its subsidiary Central Broadcaster Media), Net TV and Real Madrid, two further candidates entered the market: Radio Blanca (Kiss) and the shopping chain El Corte Ingles.
Three more companies – Capelu, Alfa Salud and Primavera Cordoba – were rejected in the bidding process. The Administration has until October to grant the licences. First transmissions are likely to start by the beginning of next year.