Italy

[IT] Agcom Launches a Public Consultation on the New Logical Channel Numbering Plan

IRIS 2012-10:1/19

Giorgio Greppi

Autorità per le garanzie nelle comunicazioni (AGCOM)

Agcom has issued a public consultation on the new logical channel numbering plan (LCN) for digital terrestrial television pursuant to the four judgments of the Consiglio di Stato (the Italian High Administrative Court) that declared void the plan adopted by decision n. 366/10/CONS (see IRIS 2012-9/28).

The draft of the new plan confirms the general approach of assigning the numbers in ten blocks and the special reserve of the first positions to the historical ex analogue broadcasters, and amends the provisions of the old plan according to the remarks made by the Consiglio di Stato.

Agcom has now asked for comments on the proposed set of new criteria for assigning positions to local channels, following the principles of audience share, quality of programmes and the number of employees. The other relevant modification is related to the definition of semi-generalist channels, in order to avoid circumvention.

The decision also establishes new criteria for the assignment of numbers to national channels in case of several requests for the same position.

Finally for the general definition of the new plan and for the assignment of positions 7, 8 and 9 to national or local channels, Agcom will follow the results of a new survey on the users’ preferences that will be conducted on a minimum sample of 20.000 individuals (in so doubling the sample of 10.000 used in the survey conducted of the old plan).

The respondents will have to send their comments on the draft plan to Agcom within 30 days of publication in the official gazette.