THE PAYMENT of favors begins:

Parliament yesterday definitively approved the Digital Television Act, known as the "Polanco Law," after Jesus de Polanco, boss of the powerful Prisa communications corporation. The law will permit several new private conventional TV networks. It also permits one company to control more than 50% of the radio stations in a certain coverage area, which will benefit Prisa, as well as legalizing Prisa's controversial acquisition of Antena 3 radio. It will allow Prisa to convert its pay-TV station, Canal Plus, to a regular free network, and it sets the deadline for the end of conventional broadcast TV and the mandatory introduction of digital television in 2010, rather than 2008.

Backgrounder: Prisa is the pro-Socialist communications conglomerate responsible for the agit-prop campaign between March 11, the day of the bombings, and March 14, the day of the general election won by Zapatero.

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