RTVE and FORTA have officially launched the Spanish DVB-I Pilot, an initiative in Spain aimed at testing the DVB-I standard. The project seeks to assess its suitability as a strategic tool to enhance the visibility, accessibility, and relevance of audiovisual content, while adapting to new consumption habits.

The pilot is framed within the Convenio Compostela, a cooperation agreement between both organisations, and aspires to become the national initiative in this field, engaging all relevant stakeholders in audiovisual communication services — both public and licensed private operators.

The project builds on the FTA DTT model, which ensures universal access to linear television content without subscription fees, while addressing emerging consumption patterns and providing complementary services. These are seen as essential elements to compete with global streaming platforms and media giants.

The initiative is in line with the European Media Freedom Act, particularly Article 20 on prominence. DVB-I is increasingly being considered as a potential mechanism to guarantee prominence on connected TV devices within the European Union. In fact, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has encouraged its members to launch national initiatives in cooperation with licensed private operators, which share similar obligations to public broadcasters.

The Spanish DVB-I Pilot is expected to run for nine months and will involve broadcasters, consumer electronics manufacturers, network operators, technology providers, and service managers. The project will also count on the participation of Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) and the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration as observers.

In Spain, DTT remains the dominant platform for television consumption, with the country operating multiple co-official languages, and both public and private broadcasters coexist at national, regional, and local levels. This makes Spain a key scenario for exploring the potential integration of DVB-I into a FTA model that guarantees plurality while strengthening broadcasters’ position.

The first steps of the pilot include the creation of an Implementation Group, gathering insights from other European DVB-I pilots, and establishing direct contacts with manufacturers and technology providers.

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Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Standards

Tags: DVB-I, EBU, RTVE, spain