17 Feb 2003

Fiji TV confident monopoly licence will be extended until 2012

2:42 pm on 17 February 2003

Fiji Television Limited has expressed confidence that its monopoly licence will be extended for ten years until 2012.

The Commerce Commission has asked members of the public to make written or oral submissions on Fiji TV's application for an extension to its monopoly.

The commission points out that the granting of the monopoly extension means that no new free to air or pay TV will be licensed for anoter ten yeras.

But Fiji TV's chief executive, Ken Clark, has told his company's news service that they are confident they will get the monopoly.

Mr Clark says it is a mistake to think that competition will bring about better services.

Fiji TV is majority-owned by the country's 14 indigenous provincial councils and the prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, has already expressed support for the monopoly.

The company has been making record profits well ahead of its business plan and its one-dollar shares have jumped to 2-point-