Polish DTT: the confusion continues

PIKE Conference, Ossa. Although Poland launched its first DTT multiplex last month, it is still without an operator. Furthermore, despite four years of planning, the country remains without a digital strategy.

The main priority, according to TVP’s Wieslaw Lodzikowski and Tomasz Berezowski, a member of TVN’s management board and its technical director, is to chose an operator – a task that will be undertaken jointly by TVP and commercial stations – with Berezowski pointing out that it should be a “straightforward business deal”.

Lodzikowski also revealed that TVP is already preparing HD channels for the third DTT multiplex, which the broadcaster will migrate to in 2012.

However, he could not shed any further light as to the future of TVP’s troubled DTH platform, launched amid great fanfare last month, other than to say an official statement will be made in the next few days.

Anna Strezynska, the president of the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), meanwhile said that further details about the tender for the second multiplex will be announced by the end of this month.

Although Canal+ Cyfrowy is widely expected to take part in the tender, Betrand le Guern, the president of the board and CEO, tellingly pointed out that, “DTT cannot be seen as the main plank of digitalisation”.