The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has closed a complaint from TV3 regarding an alleged abuse by RTÉ of its dominant position in relation to transmission and distribution services.

TV3, the national broadcaster’s commercial competitor, had alleged that, contrary to section 5 of the Competition Act, RTÉ had abused its position in the market “for the supply of wholesale analogue terrestrial television transmission and distribution”.

This specifically relates to claims of “excessive and discriminatory” pricing of charges levied on TV3 between 1998 and the recent move from analogue to digital services. RTÉ had provided commercial access to its national transmission network infrastructure.

ComReg held that there was “insufficient grounds for action with respect to each of the alleged excessive and discriminatory pricing abuses”.

In a statement yesterday, RTÉ said it “welcomes the fact that the ComReg investigation is now formally closed”.