Danish Radio and Television Board tenders digital tv multiplexes

Danish Radio and Television Board tenders digital tv multiplexes and initiates information campaign on the shutdown of analogue television

The Danish Radio and Television Board (Mediesekretariatet) is tendering four nationwide multiplexes on the terrestrial digital broadcasting networks. The multiplexes will become available after 31 October 2009, when Denmark will shut down its analogue television signals.

Following a beauty contest, the four multiplexes will be awarded as a lot to one operator – a ‘gatekeeper’ – who will be given responsibility for establishing the digital broadcasting networks. The gatekeeper must broadcast digital television to the entire population. The channels, which the gatekeeper – in competition with satellite and cable providers – will offer in packages or possibly individually to viewers, must include a broad selection of programmes.

The gatekeeper will work with DR and TV 2, which already broadcast public service programmes via the terrestrial digital television broadcasting networks. The Danish Radio and Television Board expects to appoint the gatekeeper by the end of March 2008.

Depending on whether mobile television and HDTV are also offered on the digital broadcasting networks, the gatekeeper will acquire around 25 channels. As the shutdown of the analogue television signals affects viewers – namely the quarter of viewers who receive their television signal via their own aerial – the Minister for Culture has asked the Danish Radio and Television Board to carry out an information campaign with a view to preventing anyone having a blank screen on 1 November 2009.

DKK 50 million of licence fee money has been earmarked for this campaign, which will ensure that the entire population receives information on digital television on all platforms, including what the analogue shutdown will mean for their television reception.

In a few days the Danish Radio and Television Board will initiate an EU tender of the information contract with a view to announcing a winner before the end of March 2008. The information campaign will be aimed at the entire population with particular focus on groups who are not interested in technical matters. The future gatekeeper, DR and TV 2 will all take part in the information campaign.

The documents for both tenders will be published on the Media Secretariat’s website. A non-binding English translation of the tender documents relating to the digital multiplexes is expected to be published on the above website within the next week.