Over 20 of the 55 companies that hold terrestrial TV licences and face the prospect of closure in Romania when the country completes its transition to digital broadcasting on June 17 have requested cable licences from the National Audiovisual Council (CNA).
The matter was discussed yesterday (April 29) at a meeting of the council attended by leading players in the country’s TV industry, including Antenna TV Group, Pro TV, Prima TV, RCS&RDS and Telekom.
One of those present at the meeting – George Chirita, the executive director of the Romanian Association of Audiovisual Communications (ARCA) – said it would be necessary to adopt an emergency decree to solve the problem of the private TV stations that will lose their licences on June 17.
He also suggested that Radiocom, which is already funded the tune of €36 million, should offer them more favourable financial conditions should they wish to secure capacity on the country’s first multiplex.
However, Razvan Popescu, the VP of the CNA, expressed his support for the granting of cable licences.
A total of 55 companies holding nearly 170 terrestrial broadcasting licences are in danger of losing those licences on June 17.
Those that have requested cable licences include Pro TV and Prima.
