Congratulations for the editorial of Mrs Milena Hristova on the latest step of the digital switchover in Bulgaria!
As she rightly says, the interests of the audience do not appear to be the main priority. The issue is indeed what the coverage of the network will be (how many Bulgarians will not be able to watch TV) and how many TV channels will be available.
This will depend, on the one hand, on the supervision by the KRC of the compliance with the coverage commitments of the licensees, and, on the other, of the tariffs applied by the licensees, Towercom/Hanu.
In other countries, the digital TV brings a multiple of new TV channels to the viewers. In Bulgaria, this will only occur if the broadcasting tariffs of the licensees are low enough to justify the cost of free to air broadcast. Issues to be further followed up by Novinite.
A little factual remark: the Austrian ORS did not launch the complaint to the EU Commission.
Best,
Christian Hocepied
*DTT – abbreviation for digital terrestrial television. Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport has drafted new legislation proposing March 2013 as the deadline for the launch of digital terrestrial television
ASO – abbreviation for analogue switch-off. Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport has drafted new legislation proposing September 2013 as the deadline for analogue switch-off