In a significant legal decision, the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) has rejected an appeal by the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA), upholding the directive issued by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). This ruling mandates that major players in the media industry must comply with competition laws.
The CCP’s action followed a comprehensive inquiry triggered by complaints from M/s Bol Media Network, M/s Labbaik (Pvt) Limited, and M/s Bol Enterprises (Pvt) Limited. These companies alleged that Medialogic had unlawfully withheld ratings through a covert arrangement involving three separate agreements with the PBA, Broadcaster Advertisers Council (BAC), and Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS).
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The CCP ruled these agreements to be anti-competitive, declaring them null and void under Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010. The agreements were found to create barriers for non-PBA and non-BAC members by denying them ratings and services from Medialogic. Furthermore, Medialogic was warned of financial penalties if it provided ratings to non-PBA members, and non-PBA members were barred from joining the BAC.
The PBA’s challenge to the CCP’s order was dismissed by the Competition Appellate Tribunal on July 11, 2024, reinforcing the CCP’s stance and ensuring compliance with competition regulations.
