Digital Television – The Second Stage

The ITC yesterday launched the second stage of its public consultation on the licensing of digital terrestrial television. The Broadcasting Bill, currently under consideration in the House of Commons, sets out a two-tier licensing structure under which the carriers of the services, the multiplex operators, are to be licensed separately from the services themselves.

These licenses will enable broadcasters to provide services which be carried on multiplexes once they have entered into agreements with be carried on multiplexes once they have entered into agreements with multiplex operators. It will be for multiplex operators to choose which services they will carry. All programme services licensees will be required to comply with the consumer protection requirements contained in the ITC’s Codes. Additional services licensees must also comply with the Codes where the services are sent for general reception, as opposed to being sent to closed-user groups. The award of the licenses will not be by a competitive process and there will be no limit on the number of licences which the ITC can issue. Each licence can cover more than one service.

Comments on the draft documents must be received in writing by the ITC no later than Friday 5 July. This is also the deadline for comment on the multiplex documents.