Canal+ need not pay UPC anything in Amsterdam during 2000 and 2001

Canal+ is not required to pay UPC anything for the transmission of its programmes in Amsterdam during 2000 and 2001. This discount, representing the full price of the relevant channel, involves a sum totalling approximately €2 million. OPTA decided this yesterday evening.

OPTA had discovered that UPC was discriminating against Canal+. This is because UPC gave a discount on transmission tariffs to its own paid television services but did not give a similar discount to Canal+. This is in breach of the guidelines, Access to Cable [Toegang tot de kabel].

Now UPC is required to make arrangements which cease such discrimination. Until OPTA approves these arrangements, the paid television services of Canal+ are to be transmitted free of charge, also in 2002.