Kinda strange that the authorities here have outsourced to FIFA and its commercial agent S’pore’s competition law when it comes to the media . How come the StarHub and SingTel joint bid was allowed by the competition authority? Or is it the anti-competition authority?
Although SingTel and StarHub were planning for a joint bid, Fifa eventually awarded them individual non-exclusive broadcast rights instead, the telcos revealed.
Joint bids are frowned upon as it could set a precedence for other broadcasters to follow suit and thin the coffers from media licensing.
(Part of BT report)
Update
Was told by two eminent persons, one lawyer and another an economist, that many sectors or industries are exempted from the competition laws. They have unprintable views on these exemptions.
Media is exempted from the act, and comes under the purview of Media Development Authority. A third person, not so eminent, in fact downright obscure and usually unreliable, tells me that MDA does not do anti-competition. Witness its refusal to step in when StarHub had EPL exclusively. Only the row over the price SingTel paid, got it thinking how to have proper competition policies.
Sure, they can allow the joint bid to save on the costs but isn’t allowing them to set a common selling price something we call price fixing?
Taz another pt. Will update this post, hopefully. Asked for top lawyer’s anon view.
Sorry to sidetrack this post, not really a soccer fan 0_0
I made a few comments in a previous post, https://atans1.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/how-can-property-prices-come-down/, think you may have overlooked them.
Would you like to respond?
Saw it Joe. Thinking of how best to respond to it.