Aid to Channel 4 Linked to Digital Switchover Invitation to Submit Comments Pursuant to Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Aid to Channel 4 Linked to Digital Switchover Invitation to Submit Comments Pursuant to Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty C 137/16EN Official Journal of the European Union 4.6.2008 STATE AID — UNITED KINGDOM State aid C 13/08 (ex N 589/07) — Aid to Channel 4 linked to digital switchover Invitation to submit comments pursuant to Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty (Text with EEA relevance) (2008/C 137/10) By means of the letter dated 2 April 2008 reproduced in the authentic language on the pages following this summary, the Commission notified the United Kingdom of its decision to initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the EC Treaty concerning the proposed financial support to Channel 4 to enable it to meet the costs of digital switchover. Interested parties may submit their comments on the measure in respect of which the Commission is initi- ating the procedure within one month of the date of publication of this summary and the following letter, to: European Commission Directorate-General for Competition State Aid Registry SPA 3 6/5 B-1049 Brussels Fax (32-2) 296 12 42 These comments will be communicated to the United Kingdom. Confidential treatment of the identity of the interested party submitting the comments may be requested in writing, stating the reasons for the request. TEXT OF SUMMARY The UK authorities accept that the notified measure constitutes an aid within the meaning of Article 87(1) of the Treaty. They argue however that the measure is compatible with the Treaty by virtue of Article 86(2), having regard to the Commission's 1 PROCEDURE Communication ( ) on the application of the State aid rules in relation to public service broadcasting (‘the Communication’) and the three particular criteria according to which the compati- The measures on which the Commission has opened the proce- bility of aid of this nature falls to be judged, namely, definition, dure laid down in Article 88(2) was brought to the Commis- entrustment and proportionality. sion's attention initially by a complainant and later on by means of a formal notification by the United Kingdom authorities. The complainant contest the need for financial support for Channel 4. It argues that Channel 4 has significant financial reserves and ample cash to pay for the costs of digital switch- DESCRIPTION OF THE MEASURE over. According to the complainant, although Channel 4 may in the future face a lower profitability, still its ability to deliver its public service remit will not be affected thereby, and therefore The notified measure deals with the notified aid by the UK the aid is not necessary. authorities to provide GBP 14 million to Channel 4 to help it meet the capital costs of digital switchover. Channel 4 is a broadcaster incorporated as a public corporation with no shareholders and entrusted with a public service remit. It is the core channel of Channel 4 Corporation (C4C) and is Assessment of the measure run on a commercial basis only (advertisement revenues being the main source of income). In 2006, the Commission received a complaint by a UK commercial broadcaster which objected to any kind of possible financial assistance towards Channel 4 on According to the broadcasting communication, in the case of the grounds that C4C has ample and sufficient cash reserves to State support for public broadcasters, in order to determine meet the costs of digital switchover without a need for public whether there is overcompensation the Commission would need support. first to determine the gross costs of the public service remit, deduct the benefit of the commercial exploitation of the public service (e.g. advertising) so as to obtain the net public service The decision of the UK authorities to grant aid to Channel 4 cost. Moreover, the Commission has to ascertain that the broad- follows an in-depth financial review of Channel 4 by Ofcom in caster in question does not engage in unnecessary distortions of 2007 and an expert report carried out for Ofcom by a consul- tancy (LEK). (1) OJ C 320, 15.11.2001, p. 5. 4.6.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 137/17 competition with regard to the commercial activities which are — Channel 4, although financed by advertising, has an linked to the public service. If there is a net cost, then the said embedded specific public service remit to be distinctive broadcaster should be entitled to obtain State aid. and to experiment, innovate, educate and reach cultu- rally diverse audiences freed from some of the restric- The information provided so far by the UK does not enable the tions on other commercial broadcasters, notably share- Commission to assess whether or not given its digital switch- holder returns and some programming quotas, over obligations, C4 will have in the short term any net public — commercial PSB broadcasters — ITV, Five and Teletext service cost which would allow it to receive State aid. — also have specific programming obligations. The public service provision from the commercial players is delivered in return for privileged access to scarce TEXT OF LETTER analogue spectrum and the right to broadcast (3). ‘(1) The Commission wishes to inform the United Kingdom (7) In February 2005, Ofcom published the final report and that, having examined the information supplied by your conclusions of its statutory Review of Public Service authorities on the aid referred to above, it has decided to Broadcasting (PSB) (4). Previous phases of the Review initiate the procedure laid down in Article 88(2) of the underlined why the framework for delivering PSB would EC Treaty. need to change. In those phases, Ofcom highlighted amongst other that the existing terrestrial analogue model of commercially-funded PSB will not survive the transition I. PROCEDURE to digital and may erode rapidly prior to 2012. (2) On 2 August 2006, the Commission received a complaint (8) Phase 3 of the PSB Review committed Ofcom to conduct a (CP 186/06) by a UK-based television broadcaster against a more detailed review of Channel 4's financial position in possible funding support that the UK authorities were 2006/07. The PSB Review identified that changes in the about to grant to Channel 4 to help it meet the costs of market are threatening the established PSB system, in the the digital switchover. sense that the move from analogue to digital, and conse- quently multichannel, television may mean it is no longer (3) On 10 October 2007, the UK authorities notified to the realistic to expect commercial broadcasters to deliver Commission their decision to grant an aid of significant PSB obligations due to their fragmenting audi- GBP 14 million to Channel 4 to assist it to meet the ence base. In particular, a key issue of the review capital costs of digital switchover. In the notification the concerned the future viability of and operating model for UK authorities acknowledged that the notified measure Channel 4. constitutes an aid within the meaning of Article 87(1), and invited the Commission “to find that this aid is compatible with the EC Treaty by virtue of Article 86(2) EC, having Channel 4 regard (in particular) to the Commission's Communica- (9) C4 Television Corporation (C4C) is an operator providing tion (2) on the application of the State aid rules in relation public service broadcasting whose principal function is to to public service broadcasting (“the Communication”)”. provide the public service television channel called “Channel 4”. It is incorporated as a not for profit public (4) On 23 November 2007, the Commission asked the UK corporation but run on a commercial basis. C4C receives authorities to provide further information and to clarify a no direct financial support from the State and all of its number of aspects of the notification. On 22 January income is derived from its channels, such as by the sale of 2008, the UK authorities submitted their reply. advertising and the commercial sponsorship of programmes, and from other commercial activities connected with its channels, such as the sale of books and II. DESCRIPTION DVDs. Background: Digital Switchover and Public Service Broadcasting (10) Channels 4's public service programming remit is defined in the UK: A Brief Overview in Section 265(3) of the Communications Act 2003: (5) The system of Public Service Broadcasting (“PSB”) in UK “The public service remit for Channel 4 is the provision of television has evolved over the course of more than a broad range of high quality and diverse programming 70 years and competition was introduced gradually into which, in particular: the system: Independent television (ITV) was launched in (a) demonstrates innovation, experiment and creativity in 1955, BBC Two went on air in 1964, Channel 4 came the form and content of programmes; into being in 1982, and Channel 5 (later Five) was launched in 1997. (b) appeals to the tastes and interests of a culturally diverse society; (6) Three appear to be the major sources of PSB in the UK: (3) Ofcom makes reference to a fourth source of PSB, the broadcasting — the BBC has historically been at the heart of the PSB market at large which includes all other commercial broadcasters system, with wide-ranging public service obligations. which while not explicitly entrusted with a PSB remit and have received The corporation is exempt from commercial pressures, no funding or privileged access to spectrum, nonetheless produce content that meets the PSB purposes although the supply its not guar- due to its licence fee funding, and as such has been anteed, see “Digital PSB, Public Service Broadcasting post Digital able to maintain a broad portfolio of public service Switchover”, Ofcom Issue Paper, 27 July 2007, p. 6. activities across television, radio and, more recently, (4) Section 264 of the Communications Act 2003 required Ofcom to new media, report on the effectiveness of the existing television public service broadcasters — BBC, ITV, Channel 4, S4C, Five and Teletext — in the delivery of their PSB obligations; and to make recommendations for (2) OJ C 320, 15.11.2001, p.
Recommended publications
  • The BBC's Use of Spectrum
    The BBC’s Efficient and Effective use of Spectrum Review by Deloitte & Touche LLP commissioned by the BBC Trust’s Finance and Strategy Committee BBC’s Trust Response to the Deloitte & Touche LLPValue for Money study It is the responsibility of the BBC Trust,under the As the report acknowledges the BBC’s focus since Royal Charter,to ensure that Value for Money is the launch of Freeview on maximising the reach achieved by the BBC through its spending of the of the service, the robustness of the signal and licence fee. the picture quality has supported the development In order to fulfil this responsibility,the Trust and success of the digital terrestrial television commissions and publishes a series of independent (DTT) platform. Freeview is now established as the Value for Money reviews each year after discussing most popular digital TV platform. its programme with the Comptroller and Auditor This has led to increased demand for capacity General – the head of the National Audit Office as the BBC and other broadcasters develop (NAO).The reviews are undertaken by the NAO aspirations for new services such as high definition or other external agencies. television. Since capacity on the platform is finite, This study,commissioned by the Trust’s Finance the opportunity costs of spectrum use are high. and Strategy Committee on behalf of the Trust and The BBC must now change its focus from building undertaken by Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”), the DTT platform to ensuring that it uses its looks at how efficiently and effectively the BBC spectrum capacity as efficiently as possible and uses the spectrum available to it, and provides provides maximum Value for Money to licence insight into the future challenges and opportunities payers.The BBC Executive affirms this position facing the BBC in the use of the spectrum.
    [Show full text]
  • Channel Four Television Corporation Report and Financial Statements 2008 Channel Four Television Corporation Report and Financial Statements 2008
    Channel Four Television Corporation Report and Financial Statements 2008 Channel Four Television Corporation Report and Financial Statements 2008 Broadcasting Act 1990 Presented to Parliament pursuant to Paragraph 13(1) of Schedule 3 to the Broadcasting Act 1990 Contents Introduction Scale and impact Chairman’s introduction 04 Viewer impact 60 Chief Executive’s introduction 06 Top tens 64 Output and spend 66 Channel 4’s public impact 08 Creative economy impact 68 Talent ladder 70 Nurture Partnerships 71 Awards 72 Film4 Productions and Slumdog Millionaire 12 Comedy Lab 14 Final comments on public impact report 76 The Devil’s Whore 16 Assurance statement 77 City of Vice 18 Key measures 20 Finance Challenge Operating and financial review 80 Report of the members 84 Saving Africa’s Witch Children 24 Report of the auditors 86 Dispatches and Unreported World 26 Consolidated income statement 88 Channel 4 News 28 Balance sheets 89 The Family 30 Cashflow statements 90 Key measures 32 Significant accounting policies 91 Notes to the financial statements 95 Champion Corporate governance 121 Members 127 Islam Unveiled 36 Report on members’ remuneration 128 Big Brother 38 Programmes and the licence 132 Hunger 40 Historical record 134 Disarming Britain 42 Key measures 44 Inspire Secret Millionaire 48 Embarrassing Bodies and The Sex Education Show 50 Big Food Fight 52 Battlefront 54 Key measures 56 Chairman’s introduction Luke Johnson Chairman The media establishment is undergoing its most violent In recent months, Channel 4 has demonstrated its creative upheaval since Channel 4 was founded 26 years ago. The credentials in spades. With Slumdog Millionaire, Film4 won digital revolution, combined with a severe economic downturn, a spectacular array of Oscars and BAFTAs, and enjoyed a true means all commercial broadcasters are under significant international box office smash.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact Budgets Classic Engagement Activity Evaluation Toolbox
    INDEX INTRODUCTION PLANNING IMPACT IN ACTION IMPACT DISTRIBUTION EVALUATING 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 INTRODUCTION PLANNING IMPACT IMPACT EVALUATING IN ACTION DISTRIBUTION Welcome Why vision & strategy matter Equipping for impact What is impact distribution? We love evaluation The power of film Defining your vision The role of film teams How commercial are impact films? What makes great evaluation Analysing the story environment Developing your strategy Meet the impact producer Types of distribution deals Embracing complexity How change happens Map the issue Consider your subjects Review distribution pathways Making your evaluation plan The challenge for filmmakers The 4 impact dynamics Writing impact budgets Classic engagement activity Evaluation toolbox Know thyself Draft your strategic plan Finding impact funders Impact distribution at work New tools for impact documentary Making impact partners Sign on the dotted line Wrapping up INDEX INTRODUCTION PLANNING IMPACT IN ACTION IMPACT DISTRIBUTION EVALUATING PDF • CL LE ICK AB A K BL IC E L P C Use the top D F • and side • F tabs to navigate D P C through! L E I L C B K A A K B C L I E L C P D F • Please don’t print me! IMPACTGUIDE.ORG Get the printable version INDEX INTRODUCTION PLANNING IMPACT IN ACTION IMPACT DISTRIBUTION EVALUATING A set of tools and guides designed to help all of us who are working with film make even greater impact than we do already. Brought to you by: Made possible by: britdoc.org fordfoundation.org | berthafoundation.org | sundance.org | knightfoundation.org
    [Show full text]
  • Competition Issues in the UK TV Advertising Trading Mechanism
    Redacted version for publication Competition issues in the UK TV advertising trading mechanism ITV plc response to Ofcom Consultation of 10 June 2011 REDACTED VERSION FOR PUBLICATION REDACTIONS ARE MARKED BY A [] SYMBOL 3 August 2011 508948521 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. Introduction 1 2. Industry Background 1 3. No reasonable grounds for reference 2 4. Discretion not to refer 6 PART A - NO REASONABLE GROUNDS FOR SUSPECTING COMPETITIVE HARM 9 5. The market for TV advertising cannot be viewed in isolation 9 6. The TV advertising market is highly competitive 18 7. No evidence of harm to advertisers 21 8. No evidence of harm to consumers – as viewers 25 9. No evidence of harm to consumers – as purchasers of advertised goods 28 10. The current trading model 30 11. International comparison 40 PART B - OFCOM SHOULD IN ANY EVENT EXERCISE DISCRETION NOT TO REFER 46 12. Ofcom discretion 46 13. Scale of the problem 47 14. No reasonable chance that remedies will be available 48 15. Prolonged uncertainty 52 16. Disproportionate impact on advertising funded broadcasters 53 17. Timing is wholly inappropriate – market is changing anyway 56 18. Conclusions 61 Annex A – Cross reference table to responses to Ofcom questions 63 Annex B – The Growth of Digital Marketing 65 1. Introduction 65 2. Technological changes 66 3. Key features of consumer usage of online and mobile technology and information services 70 4. Key implications of these changes 76 Annex C – The Markets for Viewers and Content 84 1. The UK market for viewers is highly competitive 84 2. Viewers particularly value original UK TV content 85 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Channel 4 and British Film: an Assessment Of
    Channel 4 and British Film: An Assessment of Industrial and Cultural Impact, 1982-1998 Laura Mayne This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Portsmouth. September 2014 i Abstract This thesis is an historical investigation of Channel 4’s influence on the British film industry and on British film culture between 1982 and 1998. Combining archival research with interview testimony and secondary literature, this thesis presents the history of a broadcaster’s involvement in British film production, while also examining the cultural and industrial impact of this involvement over time. This study of the interdependence of film and television will aim to bring together aspects of what have hitherto been separate disciplinary fields, and as such will make an important contribution to film and television studies. In order to better understand this interdependence, this thesis will offer some original ideas about the relationship between film and television, examining the ways in which Channel 4’s funding methods led to new production practices. Aside from the important part the Channel played in funding (predominantly low-budget) films during periods when the industry was in decline and film finance was scarce, this partnership had profound effects on British cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. In exploring these effects, this thesis will look at the ways in which the film funding practices of the Channel changed the landscape of the film industry, offered opportunities to emerging new talent, altered perceptions of British film culture at home and abroad, fostered innovative aesthetic practices and brought new images of Britain to cinema and television screens.
    [Show full text]
  • Bskyb / ITV Inquiry
    ACQUISITION BY BRITISH SKY BROADCASTING GROUP PLC OF 17.9 PER CENT OF THE SHARES IN ITV PLC Report sent to Secretary of State (BERR) 14 December 2007 © Competition Commission 2007 Website: www.competition-commission.org.uk Members of the Competition Commission who conducted this inquiry Peter Freeman (Chairman of the Group) Christopher Bright Christopher Smallwood Professor Stephen Wilks Chief Executive and Secretary of the Competition Commission Martin Stanley The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has excluded from this published version of the report information which it considers should be excluded having regard to the three considerations set out in section 244 of the Enterprise Act 2002 (specified information: considerations relevant to disclosure). The omissions are indicated by . The versions of this report published on the BERR website on 20 December 2007, and reproduced on the CC website, gave the name of the company acquiring the 17.9 per cent stake in ITV plc as British Sky Broadcasting plc. The correct, full title of the acquiring company is British Sky Broadcasting Group plc. This corrected version of the report, with the full company name given on the title pages, paragraph 1 of the summary and in footnote 160, was posted on the BERR and CC websites on 11 January 2008. Acquisition by British Sky Broadcasting Group plc of 17.9 per cent of the shares in ITV plc Contents Page Summary...............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Muxco Oxfordshire Limited
    MuxCo Oxfordshire Limited An application to Ofcom for the Oxfordshire local DAB digital radio multiplex Part A – Public Section August 2007 Executive summary Please provide a summary of your application, of no more than four pages in length. Beliefs 1. MuxCo believes that digital radio broadcasting should be available to as many organisations as possible. In addition, a multiplex operator should offer a wide range of broadcast options, such as programme choice, variable bit rates and hours of broadcast, in order that DAB is as economical as possible to potential service providers. 2. MuxCo also believes that with the availability of more national capacity, it is financially prudent to encourage a range of local operators to broadcast. Local (and regional) services have the ability to attract a mixture of local and national revenue, giving them multiple opportunities to support their business. 3. MuxCo also believes that, where possible, existing analogue stations should be encouraged to become available digitally as soon as possible, allowing a consistent DAB focused message to be broadcast to existing radio listeners and to create strong cross-promotional opportunities for the platform. The Oxfordshire Marketplace 4. 2007 marks the millennium of the County of Oxfordshire. It also marks a turning point for its media. Commercial radio came to Oxfordshire relatively late, with Fox FM, the county’s first commercial service, launching in 1989. Whilst over the last 18 years additional locally focused services have launched serving the City of Oxford and Banbury, the current choice of commercial radio in the county still remains poor. 5. As a result, the BBC’s dominance has grown in recent years.
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Terrestrial Radio for Australia
    Parliament of Australia Department of Parliamentary Services Parliamentary Library Information, analysis and advice for the Parliament RESEARCH PAPER www.aph.gov.au/library 19 December, no. 18, 2008–09, ISSN 1834-9854 Going digital—digital terrestrial radio for Australia Dr Rhonda Jolly Social Policy Section Executive summary th • Since the early 20 century radio has been an important source of information and entertainment for people of various ages and backgrounds. • Almost every Australian home and car has at least one radio and most Australians listen to radio regularly. • The introduction of new radio technology—digital terrestrial radio—which can deliver a better listening experience for audiences, therefore has the potential to influence people’s lives significantly. • Digital radio in a variety of technological formats has been established in a number of countries for some years, but it is expected only to become a reality in Australia sometime in 2009. • Unlike the idea of digital television however, digital radio has not fully captured the imagination of audiences and in some markets there are suggestions that it is no longer relevant. • This paper provides a simple explanation of the major digital radio standards and a brief history of their development. It particularly examines the standard chosen for Australia, the Eureka 147 standard (known also as Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB). • The paper also traces the development of digital radio policy in Australia and considers issues which may affect the future of the technology. Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Radio basics: AM and FM radio ................................................................................................. 3 How do AM and FM work? ................................................................................................... 3 How AM radio works .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Communications Market 2008
    The Communications Market 2008 4 4 Radio 233 Contents 4.1 Key market developments in radio 235 4.1.1 UK radio industry key metrics 235 4.1.2 Introduction 235 4.1.3 Commercial radio revenue grows despite audience decline… 235 4.1.4 …although listening to national commercial stations rises 3.2% 236 4.1.5 Younger listeners lead a fall in listening hours 236 4.1.6 The Hits becomes the first digital station to enter the top ten by reach... 237 4.1.7 …helped by a rise in digital listening to 18% of the total 238 4.1.8 Digital Radio Working Group publishes interim report on digital plan 241 4.1.9 RAJAR to review listening survey methodology 242 4.2 The radio industry 243 4.2.1 Radio licences 243 4.2.2 Industry revenues and expenditure 248 4.2.3 Commercial groups’ performance 251 4.2.4 Overview of the major radio operators in 2008 254 4.2.5 DAB availability and station choice 270 4.2.6 Restricted service licences 274 4.3 The radio listener 277 4.3.1 Radio reach 277 4.3.2 Listening hours 278 4.3.3 Radio ownership and listening trends 282 4.3.4 Digital listening 285 4.3.5 Listening patterns and satisfaction with radio 288 234 4.1 Key market developments in radio 4.1.1 UK radio industry key metrics UK radio industry 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Weekly reach of radio (% of population) 90.5% 90.5% 90.3% 90.0% 89.8% 89.8% Average weekly hours per head 21.8 22.1 21.9 21.6 21.2 20.6 BBC share of listening 52.6% 52.8% 55.5% 54.5% 54.7% 55.0% Total industry revenue (£m) 1,083 1,128 1,158 1,156 1,149 1,179 Commercial revenue (£m) 509 543 551 530 512 522 BBC expenditure (£m) 574 585 607 626 637 657 Radio share of advertising spend 3.4% 3.6% 3.5% 3.3% 3.0% 2.9% Number of stations (analogue and DAB) 345 357 364 372 389 397 DAB digital radio take-up (households) 1% 2% 5% 10% 16% 22% Source: Ofcom, RAJAR (all individuals age 15+), BBC, WARC, radio operators 2007 4.1.2 Introduction Radio has maintained its audience reach in 2007 but average hours of listening have fallen.
    [Show full text]
  • The Digitalisation of Radio
    The digitalisation of radio How the United Kingdom has handled the rollout of digital radio – lessons for New Zealand. A report for the Robert Bell Travelling Scholarship University of Canterbury Kineta Knight May 2009 CONTENTS Introduction 3 DAB – an overview 5 Part One – New Zealand media figures react to DAB 6 Part Two – DAB in the United Kingdom DAB terminology 8 Introduction 9 Establishing DAB in the UK: the benefits 13 Barrier to not adopting DAB 16 Launching DAB 17 Cost of DAB 19 Logistics of starting up DAB 20 Promoting DAB 21 Consumer uptake of DAB sets 22 Downfalls of DAB 24 The infamous pulling-out GCap 28 Internet streaming vs. DAB 30 Part Three – Current state of DAB in the United Kingdom Introduction 32 How the recession has affected DAB 33 Channel 4 35 DRWG – the way forward 38 DAB’s future in the UK 40 DAB+ for the future? 42 Part Four – Would DAB+ work in New Zealand? 44 Conclusions and recommendations 46 Works cited 48 2 Introduction Digital technology is now at the forefront of international media, quickly leaving the analogue medium behind. With the evolution of television in New Zealand moving into the digital age, such as Sky Television and the introduction of Freeview, the switching of radio from analogue to a digital form promises to follow closely behind. The reason digital radio is of major interest in New Zealand is because the Government, along with a digital service provider and some of the nation’s major broadcasters, have been trialling a digital service. But, for New Zealand there are still uncertainties over which digital option to choose, how best to introduce it and control growth, what impact it will have on existing stations, and what will happen to the current market when new stations are established? New Zealand broadcasting and telecommunications company Kordia has already trialled a digital service, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), but the Government is yet to commit to a long-term rollout of the technology.
    [Show full text]
  • EAC Procceding
    Contents Agenda Panellists’ Pictures and Biographies DAB/DAB+/DMB Coverage Maps DAB/DAB+/DMB Country Updates Overview of the DAB Family of Standards Latest in the Receiver Market About WorldDMB Maximizing Radio and Mobile TV In the Digital Age 8th April 2008 09.00 Registration with Welcome Coffee 09.30 Welcome & Introduction Quentin Howard, President, WorldDMB 09.50 Panel Discussion – Technology Challenge: Implications of spectrum policy and standards What spectrum is currently available for digital radio and mobile TV and what will be the implications if this is lost to other platforms? This session looks into the impact of radio and provides delegates an overview of the current spectrum policy throughout Europe. Moderator: Matteo Maggiore, European Affairs Chairman, WorldDMB Michael Shotter, Cabinet, European Commission Pal Belenyesi, Member of President’s Cabinet, Senior Adviser at the National Communications Authority of Hungary Peter Davies, Director, Radio Policy and Broadcast Licensing, OFCOM Philip Laven, Former Technical Director, European Broadcasting Union 10.35 --- Coffee Break ---Demonstrations 11.00 Panel Discussion – Future of Digital Radio and its prospects for Mobile Multimedia? The transition to digital radio does not mean pure audio services. This session will look into how broadcasters can use multimedia to create new content as well as enhance the user listening experience. Panellists will explain various multimedia applications and debate on the future of digital radio across Europe. Moderator: Alain Masse, Deputy
    [Show full text]
  • Muxco Gloucestershire Limited
    MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited An application to Ofcom for the Gloucestershire local DAB digital radio multiplex Part A – Public Section October 2007 Executive summary Please provide a summary of your application, of no more than four pages in length. Our Beliefs 1. DAB digital radio is in its second phase of development. In phase one, the larger heritage operators colonised the DAB landscape, simulcasting popular analogue stations and introducing some new digital only services across the local, regional and national multiplexes. In phase two, new entrants are joining DAB. These include smaller radio groups wanting a digital future, as well as non-radio media companies. Together, they are creating new audio and data services, helping to drive the industry forward with new ideas and business models. 2. MuxCo Gloucestershire believes that digital radio should be available to as many organisations as possible. As a multiplex operator, we will work hard to offer a wide range of broadcast options, such as programme choice, variable bit rates and hours of broadcast, in order that DAB is as economical as possible to potential service providers. 3. The additional national capacity that is currently available in general provides opportunities for larger media companies, as the cost can be prohibitive. For smaller and more locally focused operators, a digital future can only be realised where there are opportunities to increase revenue and grow their businesses. This may be where a station can broadcast to a wider area or indeed share in the benefits of multiplex ownership. 4. We believe that all existing analogue stations should be encouraged to be available on DAB as soon as possible.
    [Show full text]