EC gives green light to Sky Italia DTT move

The European Commission last week authorised pay TV service Sky Italia to enter the Italian digital-terrestrial TV market on the condition that it does not launch pay services before 2016.

Sky will not be allowed to launch pay TV services on DTT for four years, but will be able to offer free-to-air services via five frequencies. The EC imposed the condition of not operating a DTT channel until the end of 2011 at the time of the merger of Stream and Telepiù in 2003. Italian broadcasters Mediaset and Rai opposed the latest move.