International Airwaves Roundup
Aug 19, 2004 8:00 AM, IBC Update e-newsletter
EU to investigate German, Swedish DVB-T financing
The European Commission is conducting a formal investigation of how Germany and Sweden have financed deployment of their respective digital terrestrial television systems.
In Sweden, the commission will examine how Teracom, a state-owned company, financed the establishment of DVB-T broadcasting in the country through payments for transmission services from public broadcaster SVT. Satellite service providers wishing to compete allege that these payments exceeded the actual cost of transmission services and amount to an anti-competitive state subsidy of DVB-T broadcasting in Sweden.
In Germany, the commission is launching an investigation into regional government payments to Deutsche Telekom and other broadcasters for the conversion to digital transmission.
At issue are payments to the broadcasters and the broadcast subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom for the switchover from analog to DVB-T transmission, which could amount to an anti-competitive subsidy of terrestrial broadcast vis-à-vis satellite and cable delivery.
Three Czech broadcasters win licenses for DVB-T service
The Czech government has awarded state-owned Cesky Telecom, Ceske radiokumunikace and the Czech Digital Group DVB-T broadcast licenses.
Deployment of the digital terrestrial broadcast system will begin over the next few months. A switch off of analog transmission service could be complete by 2012.
MediaCorp, MiTV sign deal to bring NewsAsia to Malaysia
MediaCorp News and MiTV signed an agreement Aug. 4 allowing Channel NewsAsia to be distributed on the pay TV operator’s system in Malaysia.
The agreement, signed in Kuala Lumpur, initiates Channel NewsAsia’s presence in Malaysia and opens a market MediaCorp News has pursued since launching international service four years ago.
Under the agreement Channel NewsAsia will be included in MiTV’s basic channel offerings. MiTV combines traditional UHF transmission technology with Internet technology to offer customers Internet protocol over ultra high frequencies, IP-o-UHF.
MiTV will launch with a minimum of 50 pay TV channels.
Learn more about MediaCorp's agreement.
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