It made its debut in Latvia in the early 2000s and had a good run in the Czech Republic before becoming a hit in neighbouring Poland. Yes, our old friend the great DTT soap opera is back again.
While the circumstances in all three countries were different – Latvia’s plans to launch a DTT platform were rocked by a financial scandal, while the Czech Republic disputed the awarded of six digital TV channel licences and Poland is now debating at some length the make up of what will be three multiplexes – they have all made for entertaining viewing. However, on the downside, in the case Latvia and the Czech Republic, and now Poland, they have also held back the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
A visit to Poland earlier this week to meet most of the key players has left me little the wiser as to how things will develop in the country in terms of digital terrestrial broadcasting. In a situation that changes almost by the day, the only things that seem certain are that there is a battle taking place for all three multiplexes, with TVP, Polsat, TVN, TPSA and News Corp’s TV Puls, despite the current question marks over its future, all keen to play a role.
Ultimately, the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) and National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) will make the decisions that matter after taking the views of all the leading players into account.
The first multiplex, which will officially be able reach almost all the population, will in all likelihood be allocated to the existing seven main FTA channels. There is also a strong chance TVP will become its operator.
The second multiplex, officially able to reach up to 90% of the population, will meanwhile go out to tender, as will the third, covering between 25-40%.
It also seems likely that at least the first two multiplexes will operate on a free rather than paid basis.
The terms of the tender for the second multiplex are likely to be announced shortly and a DTT platform could be up and running by H2 2009. However, many twists and turns undoubtedly still lie ahead before ASO, which is expected to take place between 2012-14.
By then, as Tomasz Berezowski, the director of the technology department and a member of the management board at TVN has pointed out, a digital divide between on the one hand cable and satellite and on the other terrestrial TV only viewers may have opened up.
The latter, generally from less advantaged members of society, currently account for 35% of the total audience, though their number could fall to 10% in the next six years.
