Belgium completes analogue switchover

All French language analogue terrestrial RTBF television transmitters will be taken off the air on March 1, completing the switch-off.

ASO in the Walloon part of Belgium follows almost a year and a half after the analogue switch-off in the Dutch speaking part of the country, where all analogue broadcasts from public broadcaster VRT ceased on November 3, 2008.

The analogue switch-off concerns the public broadcaster RTBF channels La Une and La Deux. The pubcaster already has a nationwide DVB-T multiplex on air.

The bouquet consists of La Une, La Deux, the newly created La Trois (which will replace RTBF Sat; see Broadband TV News passim) and Euronews and German language BRF Blickpunkt in channel sharing.

Also, the radio stations RTBF La Première, VivaCité (Bruxelles), Musiq’3, Classic 21, Pure FM and BRF1 are available on the mux.

After the analogue switch-off there will be room for more multiplexes in the French speaking part of the country. Plans of the RTBF include terrestrial broadcasts of Arte and TV5 Monde. In July 2009, the French Community’s regulator, the CSA Belgique, published the results of a consultation on the follow-up to its strategic plan for the digital transition, with a view to its re-evaluation.

In related news, earlier this year RTBF announced its new name would be RTBF.be in order to emphasise the multi-media character of the broadcaster.