Commission clears satellite news-gathering joint venture
The Commission of the European Communities has given its assent (25.10.1993) to the formation of a joint venture company to provide satellite news gathering services both within and outside the Netherlands. The new company (Intrax B.V.) is to be created by PTT Telecom B.V. the Netherlands public telecommunications operator and Nederlands Omroepproduktie Bedrijf N.V. the main Netherlands television facilities company. The services to be undertaken involve the use of transportable equipment allowing for the rapid audio-visual registration and transmission of television signals via satellite from remote locations not served by the terrestrial network. In this and similar cases, the Commission must make the usual analysis of the effects of a cooperative joint venture under the competition rules, and also examine whether the still existing special or exclusive rights of the public telecommunications operator in question cause its participation to place the joint venture company in an unjustifiably favourable position.
Countries
Netherlands