PARIS (AFX) - Digital television broadcasting of free-to-air channels will begin as scheduled on March 1, said Dominique Baudis, president of the CSA audiovisual regulator, as a press conference today.
The new broadcasting standard, available to 35 pct of the French population at launch, will increase the number of free channels to 15 from 7 currently, with some channels that were previously pay-per-view now freely available.
Four new channels will also be launched with the advent of digital TV, including Direct 8 from the media division of Groupe Bollore, NT1 from AB Groupe, NRJ 12 from the NRJ Group, and France 4, a culture channel operated by the state TV group France Televisions.
Pay-per-view channels will begin digital broadcasting from Sept 1. At this date, digital TV technology should cover 50 pct of the population. The service requires the purchase of a new set-top decoder.
At the end of June 2006, the CSA has called for the service to cover 65 pct of the population, rising to 85 pct in 2007. The entire country will have access to digital TV from 2010.
paris@afxnews.com
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For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
The new broadcasting standard, available to 35 pct of the French population at launch, will increase the number of free channels to 15 from 7 currently, with some channels that were previously pay-per-view now freely available.
Four new channels will also be launched with the advent of digital TV, including Direct 8 from the media division of Groupe Bollore, NT1 from AB Groupe, NRJ 12 from the NRJ Group, and France 4, a culture channel operated by the state TV group France Televisions.
Pay-per-view channels will begin digital broadcasting from Sept 1. At this date, digital TV technology should cover 50 pct of the population. The service requires the purchase of a new set-top decoder.
At the end of June 2006, the CSA has called for the service to cover 65 pct of the population, rising to 85 pct in 2007. The entire country will have access to digital TV from 2010.
paris@afxnews.com
afp/js/wf
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
© 2005 AFX News
