"Hungary's National Communications Authority (NCA) has received four bids in a tender for national terrestrial digital television broadcasting (DVB-T) and terrestrial digital radio broadcasting (T-DAB).The bids for DVB-T were submitted by Antenna Hungária Zrt. and Digital Broadcasting Kft. and the bidders for T-DAB were Antenna Hungária and Magyar Rádió Zrt. (Hungary's Public Radio), the NCA announced after the deadline for the tender, which was invited on 25 March, expired on 24 April.
A total of nine companies bought the two separate tender invitations, seven of which were interested in the operation of the television, and two in the operation of the radio multiplex broadcasting network.
In the first round the NCA will check if the requirements regarding the form of tenders are met and make a decision within 15 days, following approval by the relevant parliamentary committee, regarding the compliance of the bids with the tender invitation, i.e. establish whether the bids are valid.
The results of the tender are to be announced in August this year.
If the tender procedure is successful, the NCA expects the services to may be launched by the end of the year.
“NCA hopes that the above ground level digital television broadcasting will strengthen competition in the television market, at the same time making it possible for 20-25% of Hungarian households - that are currently only watching television using either a room or a roof antenna - to have access to a much broader spectrum of programs than before," the authority said in a statement."
Source: Portfolio Online Financial Journal
28.04.2008