Spanish DTT platform Quiero TV could be forced to close down as soon as next week if a buyer doesn't emerge in time.

Backers of Quiero, led by telecoms operator Auna (Retevision), set April 15 as a deadline to sell off the pay outlet or else shut it down. While sources at Quiero say a solution is still hoped for, they confirm that the April 15 deadline remains in place. Auna has been seeking a buyer for over a year, with American firm Anschutz Investment Company the latest rumoured negotiating party.

Local press reports, which estimate Quiero's debt at around Euros 300m, suggest that Auna has made an immediate offer to pay off all debts to content and service providers at a reduced cost prior to an imminent closure.

Other reports assert that Quiero is already planning the return of its digital TV license to the overseeing Ministry of Science and Technology on April 16 facing 'the impossibility of continuing with its activity considering the grave financial crisis it is experiencing.'

Quiero launched in May 2000 with 14 channels and never reached more than 210,000 subscribers. Its principle shareholders include Auna (49%), Media Park (18%), Sofisclave 98 / Planeta (12%) and Carlton (6%).