Spanish terrestrial TV viewers will be hit financially by the digital dividend, which will see the country’s TV industry vacate the 800 MHz frequency band for mobile operators by January 2015.
According to El Economista, the move will require over 8 million homes to readjust their antennas in the coming months in order to receive all the DTT channels.
Government estimates put the cost of retuning, which will mainly affect buildings as single family homes are exempt, at between €20 and €23 per household, or around €200 million in total.
However, the private TV association Uteca believes this to be an underestimate, adding that the cost per family could easily reach €200 and may affect two-thirds of Spain’s 17 million households.
The plan to reorganise the digital dividend frequencies has changed significantly since Spain’s last government, which was headed by José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
It envisaged the cost of moving the spectrum, fully funded by the state, at €800 million, with €1,900 million obtained from the auction.
However, the economic crisis resulted in the development of a new roadmap that significantly cut spending and left it in the hands of the taxpayer and TV industry.
Broadcasters, for instance, will now be required to pay for the cost of simulcasting during the migration of their TV signals.
