Mexico. The Plenary of the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT), resolved that on September 24 at 00:00 hours (local time) will end the transmission of analog signals of open television in different broadcast television stations located in Monterrey and Sabinas Hidalgo in Nuevo León; Asunción Bay, Tortugas Bay, Guerrero Negro, San Ignacio and Santa Rosalía, in Baja California Sur; Cuencamé in Durango, and San Nicolás Jacala, Hidalgo.
The XHNSA-TV signal of the Government of the state of Nuevo León in Sabinas Hidalgo, will not be the reason for this blackout, since as a low power Permittee, it will be turned off in accordance with the penultimate paragraph of the Nineteenth Transitory of the Federal Law of Telecommunications and Broadcasting.
From that day all these locations will receive only digital television, which offers free benefits for the audience such as better image quality and greater sound fidelity, more channels (some in HD), among other services.
The cessation of analog transmissions resolved by the IFT Plenary is due to the fact that for all these signals in the indicated localities, the conditions provided for in the current legislation to transition to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) were met:
(a) The Secretariat of Communications and Transport (SCT) reported that a level of penetration has been reached with receivers or decoders suitable for receiving digital transmissions in 90 per cent or more of the low-income households defined by Sedesol in each coverage area.
(b) The Institute confirmed that digital broadcast television transmissions are currently being carried out under the authorized parameters, through a series of inspection visits to stations in the coverage area.
In accordance with the provisions of the DTT Policy, from this date the IFT and the concessionaires have four weeks to inform the population about the date and time determined for the cessation of analog transmissions of the indicated stations.
Therefore, the Institute maintains a campaign in mass media at the national level, in order for the population to take the appropriate measures prior to the conclusion of analog broadcast television broadcasts and a local campaign, which will inform the date and time. Additionally, it has the www.tdt.mx portal and a call center with the number 01-800 880 2424.
