Spain

[ES] Decrees on Creation of Regional Public Television Channels in Extremadura, the Balearic Islands and Asturias

IRIS 2004-7:1/13

Alberto Pérez Gómez

Entidad publica empresarial RED.ES

In 2004, the Spanish Government has approved three Decrees authorising the Government of the Autonomous Communities of Extremadura, the Balearic Islands and Asturias to operate a regional analogue terrestrial television channel. According to this Decree and to Act 46/1983 (the "Third TV Channel Act"), only a company wholly owned by the corresponding regional public authorities may operate these channels.

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 analogue switch-off. In order to facilitate the change over from analogue to digital, and in accordance with the precedent established by the Supreme Court judgment of 24 May 2001 (see IRIS 2001-8: 6), the Governments of these Autonomous Communities have been authorised to operate two DTTV programme services in the regional multiplexes mentioned in Annex II of the 1998 National Technical Plan on DTTV.

Eleven of the seventeen Autonomous Communities in Spain have been authorized by the Spanish Government to broadcast regional public television channels.