Portugal

[PT] New Ministerial Resolution Makes Room for One More Free-Access Channel on DTT Platform

IRIS 2008-2:1/25

Luís António Santos

Departamento de Ciências da Comunicação, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, Universidade do Minho

The Portuguese Council of Ministers has approved a Resolution allowing for the creation of a fifth national free-access TV channel on the upcoming Digital Terrestrial Television platform.

The Resolution, approved on 3 January 2008, states that the available radio spectrum capacity on Multiplex A is to be reserved for: a) the broadcasting of a new free-access TV programme service not subject to any conditions; b) the non-simultaneous broadcasting (until the shut-down of analogue television) of High Definition streams from service providers available on Multiplexer A; c) other electronic communication services depending on spectral capacity.

This initiative follows the publication of the new Portuguese Television Law regulating both access and exercise of the broadcasting activity - Law nº27/2007, of 30 July 2007 - which contained provisions for the adoption of Digital Terrestrial Television, and is in accordance with the European Commission’s Communication of 24 May 2005 regarding the acceleration of the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.


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This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.