TELEVISION company BSkyB yesterday vowed to "use all available legal avenues" to challenge the communications regulator's plan to force it to sell its sports and films content to rivals at regulated prices.
The satellite broadcaster said it disagreed fundamentally with Ofcom's "approach, analysis and conclusions".
Its comments followed the third consultation document by Ofcom, which said it believed BSkyB had "an incentive to restrict the distributio
n of premium channels".
The watchdog said the satellite broadcaster was thought to be charging high prices to competitors for the use of its premium content. It added the situation had a "detrimental effect on consumers" by cutting choice in the pay-TV market.
Ofcom set out proposals for pricing which it said were above the level needed to allow BSkyB to make a "reasonable return".
But BSkyB said: "In light of Ofcom's determination to pursue its preferred outcome, we will use all available legal avenues to challenge this unwarranted intervention."
Ofcom has already warned BSkyB that it wants it to wholesale its premium content out to rivals more freely. The regulator believes content such as movie premieres and live top-flight sport is particularly attractive to viewers.
BSkyB holds the rights to many top sporting fixtures and all major Hollywood releases, and Ofcom said it kept a stranglehold on the wholesale supply of channels with this premium content.
The full article contains 233 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
