Claims for the price freeze and asymmetries with technology platforms

Alexander Alfie

11/10/2020 14:00

• Clarín.com

• Politics

Updated 11/10/2020 2:04 PM

The opening ceremony of the thirtieth edition of the

, which for the first time was held in virtual format, showed the claims of the audiovisual industry for the freezing of pay TV prices and the regulatory and tax asymmetries with technological platforms.

The fact is that the DNU of telecommunications imposed a

, until the end of the year, with greater regulatory excesses;

while foreign digital video distribution platforms do not have regulatory controls and are exempt from paying numerous taxes in Argentina.

"We find it paradoxical that due to those first deficiencies in coverage (of air television) we have felt the challenge of making private investments, without perks and in competition, and that

", said Walter Burzaco, President of the Argentine Association of Cable Television (ATVC).

Burzaco also

"foreign platforms, which employ almost no labor, which do not produce economic externalities, but compete with us and use our networks for free, bill without paying local taxes, sell advertising and collect their funds. abroad".

Is that Netflix, Prime Amazon and Disney, among others, use the network infrastructure of cable TV operators and telecommunications service providers, but do not pay to use those services.

And they do not pay gross income in most provinces, nor do they pay additional taxes to the National Communications Agency (ENaCom), which does correspond to cable television and satellite TV operators.

Daniel Celentano, Walter Burzaco and Sergio Veiga, at the opening of the International Conference.

Sergio Veiga, president of the chamber that brings together audiovisual signal providers (CAPPSA), said that "the confinement has produced changes, aggravated the already complicated economic situation. It has triggered problems in the payment chain, produced a drop in the publicity, in spite of the increase of the hearing ".

"Industry players

, due to the declaration of public service and the freezing of their services. But we will surely overcome this circumstance. We are convinced that joint work between the public and private sectors is the way, "said Veiga.

For his part, Claudio Ambrosini, president of ENaCom, picked up "the glove" from the claims raised by the ATVC and CAPPSA representatives, according to the metaphor used by the official.

"As a regulator, I am committed to not leaving the industry alone. We are aware of the role it has played during the pandemic, the complications that have arisen at the economic level and the importance of SMEs in the sector for development. That is why , we are going to launch a rate subsidy for loans from Banco Nación to support companies, "said the president of ENaCom.

And he added: "We are going to work to eliminate the existing asymmetries with the international content platforms, known as OTT. And

of the DNU of communications, Ambrosini concluded, at the closing of the act of the inauguration of the thirtieth edition of the International Conference, which was moderated by Daniel Celentano, executive director of ATVC.