Chile. With the entry of new actors, greater programmatic offer and 51 new channels, the first stage of delivery of digital terrestrial television concessions was completed.
With the enactment of Law No. 20,750 in 2014, which introduced Digital Terrestrial Television, the National Television Council has a fundamental role in the process of digitizing free-to-receive television broadcasting services either through the migration of the old analog concessionaires or the entry of new actors with concessions in UHF.
In June, the first stage of the Digital Terrestrial Television concessions was completed, which considered 88 public tenders. Of these, 36 have already been awarded – awarded, published and unopposed – while another 15 are awarded, pending official publication.
In addition, 24 tenders were declared deserted and in 11 of them there were no applicants, while in another 13 the legal or basic formalities were not complied with.
The remaining contests are subject to Measures to Better Resolve and will be defined over the course of this year.
According to the president of the National Television Council, CNTV, Catalina Parot Donoso, "with this first phase the entry of new actors into the television sector was concretized, which is good news for the country: we will have a true digital democracy. The plurality of content and the diversity of actors will be increased. There are channels with a strong regional and local identity, others focused on cultural content, such as those linked to universities, but also innovative projects, such as a channel designed for women," she said.
Among the winners of this first stage are several regional radio stations. "The participation of radio companies also tells us about the dynamism of the media industry, where a real technological convergence is seen and where what will prevail will be the quality of the content that reaches the audiences, which are increasingly demanding," explains the president of the CNTV.
He also highlighted a strong presence of universities from regions. "The participation of universities reflects the interest of expanding knowledge to the widest audiences and making effective the universal sense of knowledge, through a means of massive and free reach such as open digital television."
Second stage: 31 new concessions
In the second part of the year, 31 new digital terrestrial television signals will be concessioned, in places as diverse as Alto Hospicio (I Region), Easter Island (V Region) and Porvenir (XII Region).
On June 13, the 14 calls for competition corresponding to the northern part of the country were published in the Official Gazette, which are closed to apply on July 26 of this year. Among the areas to be tendered are Arica, Alto Hospicio, Tocopilla, Calama, Mejillones, Tal Tal and Antofagasta.
For the south-central zone of the country, the publication of the 17 calls for competition will be during the month of July of this year, closing the application on August 10, 2019.
In this process are the Easter Island channel; the signal for Hornopirén; the digital television channel of Chiloé, which covers Castro, Chonchi, Curaco de Vélez, Dalcahue, Puqueldón and Quichao, as well as a signal for Coyhaique and another for Punta Arenas, Río Verde and Porvenir.
