Malaysia places curbs on pay-TV firm Astro -report
KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Reuters) - Malaysia's government has barred the country's sole pay-TV operator, Astro (AAAN.KL), from adding channels until the company improves its services, media reports said on Tuesday.
The move could affect Astro's expansion plans and undermine its profitability, one industry analyst said.
Astro, controlled by Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan, had a 40 percent market share of Malaysia's 5.5 million households as of end-January.
Astro currently has more than 80 TV and radio channels. Its main competitor is Media Prima (MPRM.KL), which controls several free-to-air TV stations.
"We have decided not to allow Astro to add more channels until MCMC is satisfied that they have improved their services," Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor was quoted by the online version of the New Straits Times as saying on Tuesday.
The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is the industry watchdog.
Among the main complaints were disrupted services during bad weather, billing disputes, lack of choice in packages offered and content of certain programmes, he said.
An Astro spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
On Tuesday, Astro shares closed unchanged at 3.46 ringgit ($1.09) a share. Media Prima shares were up 0.45 percent at 2.22 ringgit. (Reporting by Jalil Hamid, Editing by Paul Bolding)
