Spain

[ES] Decree on Creation of Regional Public Television Channel in Castilla-La Mancha

IRIS 2002-2:1/10

Alberto Pérez Gómez

Entidad publica empresarial RED.ES

In December 2001, the Spanish Government approved a Decree authorising the Government of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha to operate a regional analog terrestrial television channel (see IRIS 2000-9: 8). According to this Decree and to Act 46/1983 (the "Third TV Channel Act"), only a company wholly owned by the regional public authorities may operate this channel.

The Decree also stresses that the creation of this new regional public television channel has to be made in accordance with the 1998 National Technical Plan on Digital Terrestrial Television (DTTV), which fixes a deadline for the analog switch-off (see IRIS 1998-10: 11). In order to facilitate the move from analog to digital, and in accordance with the precedent established by the Supreme Court judgment of 24 May 2001 (see IRIS 2001-8: 6), the Government of Castilla-La Mancha has been authorised to operate two DTTV programme services in the regional multiplex mentioned in Annex II of the 1998 National Technical Plan on DTTV.

Eight of the 17 Autonomous Communities in Spain now operate regional public analog television: four of them operate two analog programme services (Catalonia, Basque Country, Comunidad Valenciana and Andalusia), and four of them, one analog programme service (Madrid, Galicia, Canarias and Castilla-La Mancha). The Autonomous Community of Madrid has already started operating two DTTV programme services.