Portugal's media regulator ERC has not reached a consensus on the proposed acquisition by Altice/Meo of Portuguese broadcaster Media Capital. The ERC already twice requested a postponement of the deadline for a decision, which finally expired on 17 October. The regulator said its three-member board was unable to agree on a position on the deal.
The ERC was required to issue its opinion on the impact of the acquisition on the media sector to the Competition Authority. It did note that the merger would lead to market concentration in four of the five sectors it oversees: press, broadcasting and the distribution of those two services. This suggests the deal would not contribute to media pluralism, the regulator said in a statement.
It will now be up to the Competition Authority to have the last word on the acquisition. The telecoms regulator Anacom already issued its opinion on the deal, saying it should not take place without conditions due to risks to competition.
