Grupo Clarin wins reprieve on Argentina media law
Clarin wins reprieve on Argentina anti-monopoly law deadline for selling broadcast operations
In this Nov. 16, 2012 photo, an employee checks a Clarin newspaper during the printing process at the Grupo Clarin production plant where Clarin, Ole and La Razon newspapers are printed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. On Dec. 6, 2012, a court in Argentina gave the media conglomerate, Grupo Clarin, more time before it’s forced to dismantle its broadcasting empire following the country’s anti-monopoly law that bars any one company from owning too many different media properties. The government had given Grupo Clarin a Dec. 7 midnight deadline. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- A court in Argentina has given a media conglomerate that is highly critical of the government time to challenge the forced dismantling of its broadcasting empire under the country's anti-monopoly law.
The government had set a Friday midnight deadline for Grupo Clarin to present its plan for selling off most of its broadcast stations as well as its lucrative Cablevision network.
But the Federal Civil and Commercial Court on Thursday granted an injunction sought by Clarin, which has challenged as unconstitutional the law's limits on the number of stations a company can own. The injunction is in force until there's a ruling on Clarin's challenge.
The law bars single companies from owning too many different media properties. Companies that fail to comply are expected to see their licenses auctioned off.
