Five gets HD capacity on DTT



UK commercial free-to-air broadcaster Five has been given the capacity to launch high definition programming on digital terrestrial TV.

Communications regulator Ofcom has made a provisional decision to reserve DTT capacity for the RTL-backed broadcaster from 2010. The HD DTT licence will only be awarded however, if Five fulfils certain, unspecified, criteria relating to its application.
In winning the licence Five beat a joint application from Channel 4 and Welsh-language broadcaster S4C, both of which already have leave to launch HD services on DTT. Five plans to simulcast its channel in HD before moving to an arrangement whereby it shares its HD channel with another broadcaster during daytime.