18-01-2010

Poland considers second digital TV multiplex

By FNE Staff
    Poland's Office of Electronic Communications and the National Broadcasting Council are considering a second and possibly third multiplex for transmission of digital TV channels.

    The original plan called for a single multiplex, to be shared with the Polish public TV broadcaster. However, four commercial stations (Polsat, TVN, TV4 and TVPlus) have asked for the plan to be changed, due to difficulties of combining commercial and non-commercial stations. The disagreement led to a delay in the stations' planned switch to digital broadcasting in fall 2009. The switch should be completed by summer 2013.

    The Office of Electronic Communications has not been eager to expand the number of multiplexes, since doing so might give an advantage to one multiplex over the others. According to a report in the Polish business news source, PRM, the Office of Electronic Communications would prefer to have as many channels as possible operating on the Polish market, without showing preference to one group of commercial stations.