The antitrust watchdog had cleared the acquisition of 100 percent of shares in Baltijos TV by LNK, the panel said in a press release.
According to the regulator, Baltijos TV has been making losses. In particular, its losses totaled 2.418 million litas (EUR 0.7m) in 2010 before growing swelling to 7.97 million litas in 2011.
Darius Mockus, the president and the largest single shareholder of MG Baltic, the owner of Laisvas ir Nepriklausomas Kanalas, told BNS in mid-December that the concern sought to strengthen its positions in the television market.
According to data from the market researcher TNS LT, LNK was Lithuania’s most popular TV channel in terms of audience in April. It had a daily reach of 40.9 percent and a 17.4 percent audience share last month.
BTV ranked fourth with a daily reach of 27.8 percent and 6.9 percent of the audience.
MG Baltic Media, the media holding of MG Baltic, one of Lithuania’s biggest business conglomerates, holds an 80-percent stake in Laisvas ir Nepriklausomas Kanalas. The investment fund Amber Trust holds the remaining 20 percent.
