Moldovan DTH platform banned

The DTH platform Focus-Sat has been banned from providing pay-TV services in Moldova for six months.

It has also been fined MDL8,000 (€380.6).

In a statement, the regulator ANRCETI says that this follows a decision by the Court of Appeal in Chisinau, following on from an original decision on September 30 that was upheld by the court on December 2 last year.

According to Newsmaker, the action against the Focus-Sat stemmed from a number of complaints from customers about substandard service and the impossibility of contacting the platform.

It adds that Focus-Sat is the third largest provider of pay-TV services in Moldova, claiming 7,300 subscribers and a 3.7% share of the market.

Another Moldovan regulator – the Coordination Council on Television and Radio (CCA) has also received complaints about Focus-Sat and imposed a maximum fine of MDL5,400 on the platform last December.

Focus-Sat is majority owned by Kronos Business Group (53.68%), with Media Horizons (26.94%) and the cable operator Sun Communications (9.38%) being the next largest shareholders.

Smaller shareholders include Eastern Space Systems (Romania) and Eastern Space Systems Bulgaria (Bulgaria), with the company’s authorised capital being MDL50.7 million.

Industry sources now believe Focus-Sat faces the real prospect of being closed.