The Cyprus Competition Authority imposes a fine on three pay-TV operators for restrictive exclusive distribution agreements (Channel LTV)

On June 2, 2006 the Commission for the Protection of Competition (hereinafter C.P.C.) put an end to its ex-officcio investigation of the pay-TV industry in Cyprus imposing a total fine of CY£ 535 on Channel LTV, Multichoice Ltd (LTV's platform administrator) and NETMED NV (Multichoice's majority shareholder) for breaching competition laws regarding the distribution of LTV's television content and via long lasting exclusive distribution agreements. In particular, the C.P.C. examined two different agreements: (a) the agreement between LTV-Multichoice (Cyprus) Ltd, dated 21 June 2004, concerning LTV's obligation to distribute the channel LTV exclusively to Multichoice (Cyprus) Ltd through any distribution method and (b) Multichoice's shareholders agreement, that is to say the agreement