The irresponsibility of the governments that undertook international commitments in 2006 and didn’t fulfill them and the hidden goal of particular political forces and economic organizations to control the broadcasting sector delay the transition to digital television, media expert Alexandru Dorogan stated in an interview for Media Azi, IPN reports.
The Republic of Moldova signed the Geneva Agreement of the Regional Radiocommunication Conference in 2006, alongside another over 100 countries. Under this accord, the signatories will complete the transition from analog terrestrial television to the digital one until June 17, 2015. The first decision concerning the transition, which sets down the tasks for ministries and other institutions, was approved by the Government on May 8, 2015, one month before the expiry of the digitization deadline. Without any explanation, the decision sets a new deadline for completing transition to digital terrestrial television – December 31, 2017, said Alexandru Dorogan.
According to the expert, only afterward started the central authorities to take measures, promising to do in two years what they didn’t do in nine years. Only one thing of what the Government promised is certain – that we will no longer have analog terrestrial television on December 31, 2017. Moldova is the only country in Europe that has analog terrestrial television.
After December 31, 2017, no television will be able to broadcast through analog signal. Currently, Multiplex A covers eight TV channels of the 34 that use terrestrial frequencies. These pay a monthly tax for using the multiplex. The eight TV channels that will use the digital terrestrial signal are TV Moldova1, Prime TV, TVR Moldova, Canal 2, Canal 3, Publica TV, N4, and Accent TV.
Alexandru Dorogan noted that many citizens do now know what will happen after December 31, 2017. There are no information campaigns and no concrete view at the upper level, but the population should know that a digital tuner (set top box) is needed to get digital signal. The modern TV sets have this tuner inside them, while for the TV sets of an older model this should be purchased for US$50 to US$150.
It was estimated that 2.5-3 million lei is needed to create a regional multiplex depending on the complexity of the relief. No local broadcaster can afford to make such an investment, said the media expert, underlining that the only solution is for the state to build the necessary regional multiplexes and to lease out slots to local broadcasters at reasonable prices.
Asked what should be done to prevent the disappearance of local TV channels in the process of transition to digital television, Alexandru Dorogan said not everything is lost yet. He considers the local broadcasters should be more active and inform society about the pending dangers and should initiate an insistent, permanent and transparent dialogue with the state institutions involved in the transition process.
Alexandru Dorogan stated that when analog terrestrial television disappears, an important, but difficult period for the national broadcasting sector will be over. This was a period during which society struggled for the transformation of the state broadcaster into an authentic public service. When digital television transition is completed, the national television sector will be revitalized.
