AUDIOVISUAL/FOOTBALL: SPANISH BROADCASTERS REFUSE TO PAY EXORBITANT COST OF TV RIGHTS.

Digital satellite channel Via Digital (part of the Telef?nica group), which owns the rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and is heavily in debt, is continuing to negotiate with private-sector broadcaster Antena 3 (also part of the Telef?nica group), FORTA (Spain's federation of regional broadcasters) and state-owned RTVE over the rights to the Spanish team's matches and the final, which must by law be shown free-to-air across the country. The main channels have so far said that Via Digital's asking price - Euro 43 million if Spain fails to make it into the second round and Euro 55 million if it does make the later stages of the competition - is...