Competition office clears TV Prima buy out by local businessmen

The Czech competition office has cleared the buy- out of one of the country’s biggest commercial television stations, TV Prima. The Brno-based office said that the buy- out by Czech businessmen Ivan Zach and Vladimír Komár would not have a damaging effect on the market. The duo previously owned half of the broadcaster along with major Swedish media group, Media Times Group, which is now selling up. Prima has five channels in the Czech Republic and one in Slovakia. It has over recent years caught up with the audience figures of the leading commercial broadcaster, Nova, though also been tarnished over a scandal over instructions to journalists to report negatively on immigrants. The Swedes bought their stake in 2005.

Author: Chris Johnstone