The Czech public broadcaster Ceska Televize (CT) managed to save CZK86 million (€3.33 million) last year, when it embarked on what could yet prove to be a costly transition to the DVB-T2/HEVC standard.
Figures published by CT show that it reached the same level of costs and revenues – CZK6.458 billion – in 2017. Revenues from TV fees were CZK5.66 billion, or CZK15 million more than the budget approved by the Czech Television Council.
Compared to the budget, savings amounted to CZK86 million, and as a result CT’s DG will receive a bonus of CZK2.42 million.
This comes against the backdrop of the difficulties CT currently faces in the transition to DVB-T2/HEVC, which it began at the end of 2017.
As recently reported by Broadband TV News, the government has stopped financing the second wave of digitisation in the country.
CT now believes that it may have to speed up the digitisation process and end simulcasting.
This would affect the reception of FTA services in more than 50% of Czech households. Furthermore, CT would have to revise the range of services it currently offers in order to implement further savings.
