The Romanian government has indicated that it would like to get the country’s transition to digital broadcasting back on track by awarding six multiplex licences.
ZF and Financiarul report that the Ministry of Communications (MCIS) has prepared a draft bill that would see the first of these multiplexes, allocated to FTA public channels, cover 60% of the population and 50% of Romanian territory by March 31, 2012.
The multiplex would simulcast with analogue services up to January 1, 2013.
The five remaining multiplexes would be awarded through a competitive tender organised by the regulator ANCOM, with the licence for one being awarded before January 1, 2013, followed by three after this date and the last after June 17, 2015 following the complete ending of analogue transmissions.
At present, some 17% of Romanian TV homes rely solely on analogue terrestrial services.
Last year, Romania took the surprise step of putting back its ASO by three years to 2015, thereby stopping a tender for what would have been its first two multiplexes dead in its tracks.
