16-03-2011

ATM Grupa Plans TV Channel

By Katarzyna Grynienko
    WARSAW: Independent Polish television and film producer ATM Grupa plans to launch its own channel in 2011 and is currently seeking a location in the first Polish ground television multiplex MUX-1.

    ATM Grupa (www.atmgrupa.pl) has a license to broadcast two channels via satellite and hopes to place on of them in the MUX-1, which became the first national multiplex in 2009.

    Poland is on track to complete the transfer from analogue to digital transmission by 2015, dividing the frequencies among the licensed broadcasters. Poland will eventually have three multiplexes of frequencies, two national MUX-1 and MUX-2 and one regional MUX-3. In February 2011 the Polish Parliament decided that all the places in the Polish multiplexes will be assigned by the end of 2014.

    "We are working out a concept of a new television channel," said Maciej Grzywaczewski, the vice-President of ATM Grupa. "Our goal is to broadcast in the first multiplex, which is why we have applied for the satellite license first, and now we are asking the KRRiT to expand it for the digital transmitters as well," he added. The KRRiT will decide if ATM's chanel can be the one included in MUX-1 within three months.

    ATM Grupa has already signed a letter of intention with cable provider Cyfrowy Polsat (www.cyfrowypolsat.pl) to include ATM's channels in their offer. The company is planning to launch the channel even if it does not get a place in the MUX-1 multiplex. "It is a less attractive solution, because our channel would not be available in the whole country. But it would be significantly less expensive and we would gather experience and learn," Grzywalski said.

    The film and television producer is one of the most active companies on the Polish market, co-operating with both private and public broadcasters. ATM Grupa is also the only company from the industry listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.