PRAGUE: Unannounced inspections at the offices of three major Czech media shops - OMD Czech, Médea and Media View - took place last week, carried out by officials from ÚOHS, the republic's Office for Protection of Economic Competition.
The raids were reportedly triggered by suspicions that the trio were operating a closed cartel for the sale of advertising space and time.
ÚOHS vice-chairman Robert Neruda was unwilling to reveal whether the raid had uncovered evidence of wrongdoing, although word around the Prague parish pump is of an unofficial agreement on prices or the pooling of client orders.
The agencies – two of which are owned by the former Czech deputy minister of education Jaromír Soukup – deny any misdemeanors. All three are regarded locally as professional media players.
The raids were reportedly triggered by suspicions that the trio were operating a closed cartel for the sale of advertising space and time.
ÚOHS vice-chairman Robert Neruda was unwilling to reveal whether the raid had uncovered evidence of wrongdoing, although word around the Prague parish pump is of an unofficial agreement on prices or the pooling of client orders.
The agencies – two of which are owned by the former Czech deputy minister of education Jaromír Soukup – deny any misdemeanors. All three are regarded locally as professional media players.
Data sourced from M&M Global; additional content by WARC staff
