Spain to get 1,000 local DTT channels

net1

Spain is finalising its local DTT structure. The centre-right Government is to approve the local DTT Technical Plan by next February - one month before the General Elections. The DTT plan has been drawn up in an attempt to clarify the confusing local TV market and give a new boost to DTT. The rules, that will regulate the market and impose the technical conditions, will divide Spain into 256 local areas with four digital channels per franchise area, making a total of more than 1,000 local DTT televisions with a combined 85 per cent coverage of the country.

Local DTT licences will be awarded by regional Governments via public tenders. The successful DTT bidders will not have to pay for the licences, but will pay levies for the use of the radio spectrum. Those existing local networks that do not get a licence will have to cease broadcasting.

In Spain, today there are around 1,000 local TV stations. Local TV stations will have two years, until 2006, to migrate to digital. The Government will allow partners of a nation wide TV channel to take part in local and regional TV stations as long as the local or regional coverage does not exceed 20 per cent of the population. The Government estimates that the implementation of local DTT will cost E600 million and that the local DTT market will create 10,000 to 15,000 jobs.

AlexBellisBrown

Good news for us here in Spain then...