Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) has ruled out the possibility of the religious-based channel TV Trwam securing a slot on the country’s first DTT multiplex.
It has also provided an assessment of the transition to digital broadcasting to date and given insights into how the process will continue.
In a statement, the regulator said despite protests from five parties, including the Lux Veritas Foundation, the operator of TV Trwam, it had upheld a decision made on July 29 last year to award DTT licences to Eska TV (for a channel named Eska TV), ATM Grupa (ATM Rozrywka), Stavka (U-TV) and Lemon Records (Polo TV).
It added that the public broadcaster TVP could continue to use the first multiplex until April 27, 2014, after which three additional slots will become available on the multiplex.
The KRRiT will begin preparations for a tender for these slots in the next few months.
Commenting specifically on the Lux Veritas Foundation, the regulator said that it could already distribute TV Trwam via satellite (Astra 1H) and cable.
Like countless other channels including TVN24, Polsat News, Religia TV and Superstacja, TV Trwam will have to continue relying on such distribution following ASO.
However, speaking to the local press, the head of the KRRiT said that the main reason TV Trwam failed to get a DTT licence was its difficult financial situation and probable inability to pay an annual distribution fee of PLN10 million (€2.28 million) on the first multiplex.
The Lux Veritas Foundation nevertheless believes the KRRiT’s decision is politically motivated and an attack on the Roman Catholic Church in Poland.
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