Romanian state – owned Romanian Television Society (SRTv) will receive one of the six digital TV licenses, according to an emergency ordinance project approved by the Audiovisual Council in Romania.

“It is the first step to digital television transition and that after the Romanian Government adopts the strategy they will have to establish the final stages, terms and the grant conditions,” said Rasvan Popescu, head of the National Audiovisual Council of Romania.

Romania will grant six digital TV licenses to operators in the following years. Thus, the first multiplex will be granted before January 1, 2013, the next three multiplexes, after January 1, 2013 and the last one after the June 7, 2015, once the analog broadcasting will stop.

The Romanian Government decided in August last year to postpone by three years, until January 1, 2015, the date when the analog transmission would stop. The Government wanted to prevent TV viewers from buying new equipments in the crisis period and to give the television operators time to adapt to the changes. Romania has previously pledged to the European Union to finalize the transition from analog to digital TV by January 2012.

Alexandru Camburu, alex.camburu@romania-insider.com