Concerns are growing in Russia over the future of regional channels once the country completes its transition to digital broadcasting.
Kommersant reports that last week 55 such channels sent an open letter to Nikolay Nikiforov, the Minister of Communications, appealing to him for the creation of additional multiplexes to carry their services.
In their view, the federal programme for digitisation, adopted back in 2009, threatens the existence of such services.
Russia’s first multiplex, carrying established federal channels and one regional service, is already up and running, and a tender for the second, 10-channel multiplex is currently being held.
The parameters for the third multiplex, which could carry regional channels, have yet to be determined.