Spain paves way for pay-DTT

Spanish broadcasters will be able to launch pay-DTT channels thanks to new changes in the country’s broadcasting laws.

Spain’s Council of Ministers has given the green light to broadcasters who want to launch pay-TV channels on the country’s digital-terrestrial network.

One of those likely to benefit is commercial broadcaster La Sexta, which recently acquired broadcasting rights for Spanish football matches and Formula 1 racing. Its owner, Mediapro, wants to launch Gol TV, a dedicated football pay-TV channel, before the start of the Spanish league on August 29. Gol TV is currently available on cable platform ONO and will replace La Sexta’s free-to-air DTT channel Hogar 10.

The news is a blow to Spanish media outfit Prisa which offers its own premium football channel Canal Plus Liga on its Digital Plus pay-TV platform. Prisa issued a statement regretting that the government had decided to go ahead with the approval despite a report by the advisory body the Consejo de Estado that the decision to permit the launch of the service was flawed.