Spain switches off 9 DTT channels

Spain’s broadcasters have switched off the signal of nine DTT channels, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling that set a May 6 deadline to close down the stations.

Atresmedia has closed down three channels, Xplora, Nitro and La Sexta 3; Mediaset, two, La Siete and Nueve; Veo TV and Net TV, two each, teleshopping channels which took the place of AXN, Marca TV, MTV and Intereconomia which had already been removed from the DTT line-up.

The move has reduced the Spanish DTT market by over a third, from 24 channels to 15. The situation could worsen should the Supreme Court accept an appeal from Infraestructuras y Gestion 2002 which argues that eight further DTT channels obtained their licence unlawfully. In any case, the Government plans to call a public tender to award new DTT licences, although the decision will be subject to the availability of sufficient spectrum, once the allocation of the digital dividend is completed before January 2015.

Source: http://cablequest.org/news/international-news/item/4785-spain-switches-off-9-dtt-channels.html
Source: http://cablequest.org/news/international-news/item/4785-spain-switches-off-9-dtt-channels.html