NRK will launch its new HD channel on February 12 with carriage secured across DTT, satellite, cable and IPTV. RiksTV, Canal Digital, Get and Altibox will all go live at 20.05 for the first broadcast from NRK’s Olympic studio.
In addition to extensive coverage of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, NRK viewers will also be able to watch the popular drama series Himmelblå and coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest, which takes place in Oslo on May 29. Films including The Kite Runner, Spiderman 2, The Young Jane Austen and The Golden Compass will also be seen in the HD format.
NRK is in the process of upgrading its studio equipment and estimates that all domestic production will be in the format from 2015. The policy is to renew equipment as part of the normal replacement cycle, ensuring that no money is taken from the regular programming budget.
Commercial broadcasters TV2 and TV Norge already have HD channels in place.
