RAS plans BBC One for South Tirol

BBC One is to get digital terrestrial distribution in the autonomous Province of Bozen (South Tirol) in Italy. Broadcasts will start before May 13, according to the public radio and television agency Rundfunk Anstalt Südtirol (RAS).

The RAS will launch two new DTT multiplexes, which will retransmit the two HD channels from Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, ORF 1 HD and ORF 2 HD. From Switzerland, SRG HD Suisse will also be broadcast locally.

In addition, RAS plans to broadcast the French-German cultural channel Arte, its own Information channel and BBC One. The addition of the national BBC channel is “in response to viewers’ demand for a multi-lingual offer.”

However, RAS stated that “for all channels except BBC One and HD Suisse permission from the broadcaster has been obtained.” It is not the first time that foreign channels are rebroadcast on terrestrial networks in Italy, including the former French public channel Antenne 2, TMC from Monte Carlo and others. Although, BBC One is already available on some Swiss cable networks, it would be the first time that a UK national channel would become available as a FTA DTT channel.

RAS operates two multiplexes, RAS1-DVB with ORF1, ORF2, ARD and ZDF; RAS2-DVB with SF1, SF2, BR, Kika. The offer is in addition to the muxes from state broadcaster RAI and Italian commercial broadcasters.