Advanced Television

DTT/DSO

Spain: Squirrel replaces Disney Channel on DTT

A new nationwide TV channel, Squirrel, has launched on Spain’s DTT, replacing Disney Channel which closed down on January 6th. Owned by Squirrel Media Group, Squirrel is a cinema and TV series channel offering classic and just released movies with at least ten film titles airing every day. Squirrel Media Group also operates BOM Cine […]

January 7, 2025From David Del Valle in Madrid

France: C8, NRJ12 DTT exclusion confirmed

French TV regulator Arcom has confirmed the names of the next round of DTT FTA channels to broadcast from March 1st 2025, confirming the exclusion of Vivendi’s C8 and NRJ’s NRJ12. Both will be replaced by newcomers CMI TV, the TV arm of billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, and OFTV, owned by regional press group Ouest France. […]

December 12, 2024From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris

France: Canal+ pulling pay-TV channels from DTT

Canal+ has announced that it will soon withdraw its four pay-TV channel, Canal+, Canal+ Cinéma, Canal+ Sport and Planète+, from DTT in France. The French broadcaster said it “continues to suffer tax and regulatory decisions that penalise its operations in France”, such as an increase in tax paid to the CNC (The French National Centre […]

December 6, 2024

South Africa: ASO extended to end-March 25

South Africa Minister of Communications Solly Malatsi has confirmed that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Technologies has secured cabinet’s support for an extension of the deadline for the analogue switch-off from December 31st 2024 to March 31st 2025, suggesting that the extension will ensure that as many indigent households as possible will enjoy their […]

December 6, 2024By Colin Mann

Multiplatform TV’s role in supporting democracy highlighted

On November 21st, TV companies worldwide will unite to celebrate World Television Day, a reminder of the powerful role multiplatform TV plays in society. Established by the United Nations, this annual occasion emphasises television as a vital medium for information, communication, and entertainment. Each year, egta, the international trade body of multiplatform TV and audio […]

November 20, 2024

Portuguese government admits DTT “a costly failure”

Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Portugal has been a “costly failure”, currently being used by less than 3 per cent of the country’s population and costing RTP €8 million annually. Speaking before a Parliamentary Committee on Culture, Pedro Duarte, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, admitted that DTT is a project “that did not take off”, describing […]

November 1, 2024From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Broadcast 2040+ urges terrestrial TV protection

Campaigners are calling on the UK Government to commit to the long-term future of traditional terrestrial broadcast TV, as consultancy firm EY has published research revealing the risks and costs of delivering all TV over only the internet. Free-to-air, terrestrial broadcast TV, which millions watch every day, is only secure until the early 2030s, when […]

October 21, 2024

France: Chérie 25 threatened by NRJ 12 axe  

The economic viability and the very existence of DTT channel Chérie 25 would be impacted by the non-renewal of sister channel NRJ 12’s authorisation, according to French TV and radio NRJ Group. In July 2024, regulator Arcom decided against the renewal of the NRJ 12 DTT frequency, which will expire at the end of February […]

October 7, 2024From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris

Spain: New DTT plan

The Spanish Administration is set to approve a Royal Decree with a new DTT Technical plan that will pave the way for a new nationwide DTT channel and for an Ultra HD migration of all TV channels. The favourite candidate for the new DTT channel is the media group Prisa, which is the publisher of […]

September 26, 2024From David Del Valle in Madrid

Fransat unveils TV Stick

Fransat, the Eutelsat Group subsidiary operating a DTH platform of DTT channels for the French market, has showcased at IBC a miniature set-top box designed to further simplify satellite DTT DTH reception. The Fransat TV Stick is a conditional access module (CAM) that uses the new CI Plus 2.0 standard to integrate the decrypting and […]

September 13, 2024Nick Snow @ IBC