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Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has ruled out introducing commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) until after analogue television services are switched off at the end of 2012. The BAI said it would review possible dates for the launch of commercial DTT at the end of 2011, at which point it might seek fresh expressions of interest. A competition could be held in 2012 with a view to commercial DTT coming on stream in 2013, it said.

In a statement, the BAI also indicated that it intends to ask the Department of Communications to give it the power to mediate between future commercial DTT operators and RTE NL, which controls the transmission network.

For more information see www.bai.ie

RTÉ’s Chief Financial Officer has said that it has spent €40m putting the Digital Terrestrial Television infrastructure in place. Conor Hayes was speaking this morning at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

Mr Hayes told the committee that RTÉ wants to make two complimentary digital systems, DTT and free-to-air, available to replace the analogue service. Mr Hayes said RTÉ is working against the clock to achieve analogue TV switch-off, which is planned for 31 September 2012.

He said that by October of this year, RTÉ would have a national TV free-to-air multiplex operational, which would be capable of being received by 90% of the population. Mr Hayes said the total spend on the project will be €70m for the two multiplex platforms. Originally, it had planned for six multiplex platforms.

Head of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland Bob Collins told the committee that unfortunately the project has not proceeded at the pace it should have. Households without satellite or cable television services will have to upgrade to DTT.

via RTÉ News

First of all, last year I think, Boxer was awarded the contract for the Irish DTT rollout. They took too long and eventually pulled out from the contract. The government then awarded the contract to the second placed consortium, who also did not take up the offer. Finally we thought it was going to land in the lap of the third, and final placed consortium from the original bidding process. But guess what, now they dont want it either.

Now we have a looming analogue switch off deadline, and no one want to run the commercial DTT!

Communications Minister Eamon Ryan is to meet the Broadcasting Authority, ComReg and RTE next week in a bid to kickstart the collapsed Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) project.

A spokeswoman for the minister said last night he was “disappointed” that the Broadcasting Authority’s process to find a commercial DTT operator had failed. She added, however, that public service television would switch over from analogue to the DTT system by the EU’s 2012 deadline “come what may”.

via The Indo

Irish language broadcasting in Northern Ireland received has received a boost as the Irish and UK Governments agreed a memorandum of understanding which provides a framework for continuing co-operation on broadcasting issues on the island of Ireland.

The memorandum, which is aimed at ensuring a smooth transition to digital switchover and the switch-off of analogue services in Northern Ireland and Ireland, was signed by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ben Bradshaw.

The memorandum commits the two Governments to facilitating the widespread availability of RTE services in Northern Ireland and BBC services in Ireland on a free-to-air basis. It will also ensure the continuing widespread availability of the Irish language channel TG4 in Northern Ireland following the digital switchover.
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The group which last year won a contract to provide digital terrestrial television DTT services in Ireland has pulled out of the project. The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland said Boxer – which includes Denis O’Brien’s Communicorp and BT – had withdrawn its applications for the three multiplex contracts.

Boxer blamed the economic downturn and ‘challenges’ in reaching a deal on transmission facilities with RTE Networks for its decision. The BCI said it would now ask the second place applicant in last year’s competition – One Vision – whether it was interested in negotiating on the contracts. One Vision includes TV3, Setanta and Eircom.

BCI chairperson Conor Maguire said the commission was ‘disappointed’ but was committed to pursuing its digital policy objectives. Under legislation, the BCI was to licence commercial DTT for three multiplexes – or bundles of channels – while RTÉ was assigned a single DTT multiplex to ensure the continued availability of the four existing free-to-air services in Ireland – RTÉ 1, RTÉ 2, TG4 and TV3.

RTÉ is to set up and run this DTT multiplex independently of BCI-licensed multiplexes in fulfilment of its public-service obligations.

via RTÉ Business: Boxer throws in towel on digital.