The CMT sets the amount that television operators must contribute to contribute to the financing of RTVE in 2009

The Council of the Telecommunications Market Commission (CMT) has set the amounts of the complementary contributions that television operators are obliged to make to finance the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (CRTVE) during 2009. The total income accrued for the year 2009 is then set at 25.03 million.

All television stations must contribute an additional 4.9 million to the self-assessed amount for that year (20.13 million). The total income accrued for the year 2009 is then set at 25.03 million.

The resolutions published today emphasize that operators must compute all gross operating income obtained from their activity, without excluding any concept.

The CRTVE Financing Law, and the Royal Decree by which said Law is developed, establishes as of 2009 for pay or conditional access television a contribution of 1.5% of the gross operating income billed in the year and 3% of those same income for free-to-air television service providers. In the case of electronic communications operators (telecommunications operators), a contribution of 0.9% of annual gross operating income was established as of 2010.

In October of last year, the television operators presented the self-assessments corresponding to the year 2009. The CMT has now completed the verifications of these self-assessments and has detected discrepancies between the gross operating income that they declared for the CMT Annual Report and those that were finally recorded. The self-assessments of some companies had excluded the amounts corresponding to the contents over which the television stations stated that they did not have editorial control (such as the channels that were served in the different pay TV packages) or over the terminals (the decoders). The resolution, however, maintains that these incomes cannot in any case represent a deduction in the figure of gross operating income.

Collections for the year 2010 and request for deferral of payments

On the other hand, on February 28, the deadline for collection by the CMT of the contributions from telecommunications and television operators to finance the CRTVE for the period of 2010 ended. At this time, the CMT is analyzing the degree of compliance with the self-assessments presented.

On the other hand, the CMT has rejected Digital+'s request to defer and split the payment of the amount of the contribution to be made in 2009 and the interim payments for the 2010 financial year.