AUDIOVISUAL POLICY: SPAIN SAYS TV CHANNELS CAN BE CONTROLLED BY A SINGLE SHAREHOLDER.

• Position: Brief Article

The Spanish Government is to amend a law on private television broadcasters to allow a single shareholder to control a channel 100%, a Government spokesman indicated at the beginning of October. Current legislation provides that no single shareholder can directly hold more than 49% of shares in a private Spanish television channel. The anticipated suspension of this threshold, demanded by operators, has been approved by the Cabinet. The reform should be pushed through in the context of the law on the 2003 State budget, according to the same source. Private operators are also keen that a single shareholder should be authorised to hold stakes in two...