Dutch regional commercial broadcaster RNN7 in the city of Rotterdam plans to launch an HD version of its on May 1. An investment of €700,000 has been made to make the upgrade to HD possible, according to managing director Leo Houkamp, who hopes that broadcasting in a higher definition will make his channel more attractive to cablers Casema and UPC.
At the moment RNN7 is distributed in the provinces of Zuid and Noord Holland with the exception of the cities of Amsterdam and Haarlem. The broadcasts are also available in the Canal Digitaal DTH bouquet on Astra. Houkamp has ambitions to roll out RNN7 nationally and now schedules series and movies along entertainment and local newscasts. For the moment only HD distribution on cable is planned, but if Canal Digitaal launches an HD bouquet for the Dutch market RNN7 plans to be part of it.
