Cyprus

[CY] Information Campaign on Digital Television Switch-over Begun

IRIS 2010-3:1/13

Christophoros Christophorou

Council of Europe expert in Media and Elections

The Office of the Commissioner for Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation (OCECPR) has launched its first information bulletin on the introduction of digital terrestrial television in Cyprus (see IRIS 2010-2: 1/7).

In the publication the general framework and the arrangements for the start of digital terrestrial television and the complete switch-off of analogue transmission in July 2011 are explained. Answers to ten questions then follow. These concern:

- technical issues and requirements the consumer needs to respond to in order to be able to receive digital television programmes;

- forms of digital television services beyond their terrestrial form;

- the features and advantages and

- services that are/will be offered by digital television.

The bulletin explains that Cyprus has changed the technical standard for digital television, shifting from DVB-T MPEG-2 to DVB-T MPEG-4 as the latter was judged as offering more advantages at an accessible price, leaving open the possibility for the consumer to benefit from new services in the future.

A public information campaign regarding digital television in general and not only its terrestrial form will be part of the authorities' supporting measures (including also a subsidy for the purchase of digital decoders). This was announced in the Policy Paper on the authorisation of digital television networks published in early December 2009. The campaign will be as comprehensive as possible and will be conducted by an information team consisting of representatives of Government offices, regulatory authorities and the private and public service television broadcasters. The Government will bear the financial costs of the enterprise.