Blow for shared Portuguese HD channel
By Branislav Pekic
July 15, 2009 09.08 UK
The HD channel to be aired on DTT and shared by the three Portuguese national broadcasters “cannot be managed and will never be economically viable”, according to the CEO of Media Capital, Bernardo Bairrão.
Speaking during the VIII Telecom and Media Forum, he proposed that TVI (owned by Media Capital), RTP and SIC separately develop their own HDTV channel, adding that this would help promote the production of HD content in Portugal.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s Ongoing media group, which publishes the financial daily Diario Economico, has announced plans to launch a business news channel.
According to Ongoing VP Rafal Mora, it would be initially available on Portugal Telecom’s pay-TV service Meo, while distribution deals could also be signed with other operators. Initially, the channel would be on the air from 07:00 to 01:00, with the remaining hours occupied with content from the paper’s internet TV channel.
The project still has to be approved by the Regulating Body for Social Communications (ERC).
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