Televisa Fears Unfavorable Ruling

A Grupo Televisa SAB official said the company, Mexico's largest broadcaster, fears an adverse decision by the country's antitrust commission on its proposed partnership with a small mobile-phone company that would allow Televisa an entry into the mobile-telephone market.

The Televisa executive, who asked for anonymity, said the broadcaster hadn't been notified by Mexico's Federal Competition Commission, or CFC, of its decision, but feared three possible unfavorable outcomes: "They've denied it outright, they've denied it unless we comply with very tough conditions, or they've approved it if we comply with very tough conditions," he said. Such conditions would likely be related to restrictions about the television market, he said. The CFC decision is crucial to the battle over the future of Mexico's telecommunications market that is being waged by three of the country's most powerful billionaires as they compete to offer "triple play services"—television, Internet and telecommunications—to Mexican consumers.