World Cup Viewing Imperiled in Colombia in Row Over TV Signals
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After a 16-year wait for their team to play in soccer’s World Cup, millions of Colombians may not be able to watch a single game at home.
A week before the tournament’s opening ceremony, pay-TV operators America Movil SAB, Telefonica SA and UNE EPM Telecomunicaciones SA are determining whether they need to remove the games’ broadcasters from their channel lineups after a decision from Colombia’s antitrust regulator. The agency, known as SIC, said in a ruling this week that the operators must have broadcasters’ permission to carry their signals -- sending other government officials racing to sort out the legal implications.