Bulgaria will complete its transition to digital broadcasting today (Monday, September 30).
According to Novinite, only 75,000 of 210,000 people entitled to receive digital decoders have so far obtained them.
Furthermore, although digital coverage should be 95% of territory of Bulgaria at switch off, between 350,000 and one million people living in the countryside could still be left without access to public TV services.
The regulator CRC is aware of these difficulties and has said that rather than delaying switch off any further they will be ironed out later.
Bulgaria still remains embroiled in a dispute with the European Commission over the controversial award of multiplex licences.
EDITOR’s NOTE. On October 1, Broadband TV News, in association with Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, will be in the Bulgarian capital Sofia for the latest in our Business Briefing series. The event is free to attend, but if you want to come, please register online. More details here.