The Spanish government has given the go-ahead to DTT pay-TV, with services regulated by what has been termed a ‘royal decree law’.
Quoted in El Pais, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, the VP of the Council of Ministers, said that with ASO little than six months away there was “urgent need” to regulate this new form of television.
In the government’s view, the introduction of pay services will boost the DTT sector, provide new forms of financing and give more choice to viewers.
The main pay-TV companies in Spain – ONO, Telefónica and Sogecable – have criticised the introduction of DTT pay services, which many see as a result of pressure from Mediapro on the government.
Mediapro’s La Sexta has launched a DTT football channel Gol TV, replacing a service named Hogar 10, which it would like to carry paid-for content.
