Russian Federation

[RU] Government Adopts Pre-plan for Digital Switch-over

IRIS 2009-10:1/26

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

On 21 September 2009 Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1349-r О концепции федеральной целевой программы "Развитие телерадиовещания в Российской Федерации на 2009 - 2015 годы" (On the Concept of the Federal Target Programme “Development of TV and radio broadcasting in the Russian Federation 2009-2015”).

The Federal Target Programme (FTP), which was drafted at the end of 2008, is yet to be approved as such. Meanwhile the Government has adopted certain guidelines for its key features. The Resolution approved the Concept of the FTP and allocated a maximum of RUB 76,366 million from the federal budget for its implementation. The Concept targets 6,500 State-owned telecommunications units to be upgraded for digital broadcasting purposes.

The switch-over will be implemented in stages in five zones from the far eastern to the European part of Russia with special focus on regions bordering foreign countries. The switch-off will take place when more than 90 percent of the households have set-top boxes, which must be purchased individually at the householders’ own expense.

Regional branches of the State-run national transmission system RTRS will be responsible for the dissemination of the first multiplex of 8 channels approved by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of 24 June 2009 (see: IRIS 2009-10: 18). They will be allowed to place local informational inserts in federal programmes of the first multiplex. They will also serve as the basis for the hubs assigned with the task of shaping the line-up of the second and third multiplexes of digital TV with the inclusion in them of local programmes of their choice. The hubs will be federal property and be part of a system to implement general State policy in broadcasting.

The Concept provides that the 2nd and the 3rd multiplexes will be for free for consumers of terrestrial television, established with funding from both the federal budget and businesses. Further multiplexes will be funded without support from the federal budget.

Implementation of the FTP will make it possible for that part of the population with access to terrestrial broadcasting to view as many as 20 to 24 TV channels. In addition there will be up to 3 HDTV channels and up to 10 channels for digital mobile TV in major cities.

The Ministry of Communications and Mass Communications is entrusted with drafting the final text of the FTP and submitting it for the approval of the Government.