"Hungary's National Communications Authority of Hungary (NCAH) published an international tender for 12-year concessions to operate five digital television frequencies and a digital radio broadcasting network in the VHF range.Results of the bids are expected to be announced in the summer of 2008, and digital terrestrial broadcasting could start by the end of the year.
“NCAH hopes that terrestrial digital television broadcasting will increase competition in the television broadcasting market and will, at the same time, contribute to the provision of a much wider range of programmes to 20-25% of all Hungarian households currently equipped only with indoor or roof aerials," the authority said in a statement on Tuesday.
Bids for national terrestrial digital television broadcasting (DVB-T) and terrestrial digital radio broadcasting (T-DAB) are welcome by 24 April.
Depending on the type of compression the winning bidders decided to use, each frequency band could be used to broadcast 5-10 television channels or 8-10 radio stations at once.
In the European Union, and thus also in Hungary, terrestrial analogue broadcasting must be replaced by digital broadcasting by no later than 31 December 2011.
Both audio and video multiplexes, after both networks have been fully completed, must be available to 94% of the population. As far as audio broadcasting is concerned, the planned date of digital switchover is the end of 2014."
Source: Portfolio Online Financial Journal
27.03.2008