Russian regional broadcasters are being discouraged from seeking carriage on what will be the country’s second and third DTT multiplexes.
Instead, according to AKTR and ComNews, they are being encouraged by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Communications to use other distribution platforms such as DVB-H and IPTV, something the regional broadcasters strongly oppose.
Indeed, they have even gone one stage further by suggesting that they should be given a channel on the first multiplex, which has already been fully allocated to Russia’s leading stations.
The regional broadcasters believe they would secure additional ad revenues through DTT distribution, though the Russian ad market is only just starting to recover from the downturn, with TV spend this year expected to total $5 billion (€4.08 billion).
IPTV operators such as VimpelCom are meanwhile said to be keen to work with regional broadcasters.
