Russian Federation

[RU] Government extends plan for digital switch-over

IRIS 2015-9:1/23

Andrei Richter

Comenius University (Bratislava)

On 29 August 2015, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed an Ordnance of the Government of the Russian Federation that approved the amended Federal Target Programme (FTP) "Development of TV and radio broadcasting in the Russian Federation in 2009-2015” (see IRIS 2010-4/39).

By the Ordnance, the Government now extends a complete digital terrestrial broadcasting switchover in Russia until the end of 2018. The FTP now states that, by early 2015, 85.3 per cent of the population had the ability to watch digital terrestrial must-carry TV channels, while 49 per cent could watch 20 free-access digital TV channels.

The cost of the implementation of the Federal Target Programme for the federal budget has increased from RUB 76,366 million to RUB 98,554 million , and the total evaluated cost of the programme from RUB 122,445 million to RUB 164,794 million (approximately EUR 2,188,622).

The switch-off will take place when 98.4 per cent of the population have the ability to receive digital terrestrial must-carry TV and radio channels.