Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

fights and lack of professionalism
3.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIGITALIZATION IN SERBIA
3.4.1 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DIGITAL TELEVISION
Background
With Serbia’s switch from analogue to digital broadcasting several issues are pertinant. It is a big investment for the
state and for the individual household that in most cases needs a Digital Set Top Box to decode digital signals into
analogue television. The digitalisation is however also a process that Serbia must and has committed to complete
by 2012, and it is a process demanding careful planning and implementation.
Legislators and regulatory bodies need to make complex decisions before deciding how many multiplexes and
terrestrial transmission towers will be used. They must also decide how to manage the digital system and what
kind of television channels will be given space.
For the broadcasters the possibility for additional broadcast frequencies opens new possibilities. For the politicians
and for RBA it requires clear priorities and decisions about the demands to public service and commercial
broadcasting organisations.
Recommendation
It is recommended to take the following steps to ensure a smooth implementation of the digital switch:
The Serbian Parliament should ahead of the digital switch agree on a national media strategy deciding on the
number and demands to broadcasters at national, regional and local levels.
The national and regional public service broadcasters are given preference with sufficient bands on the digital
terrestrial net for immediate and future use.
The multiplexes shall ensure sufficient bands for RTS including one with a possibility for regional windows.
The multiplexes shall further have one band reserved for regional public service broadcasters and one band for
regional civil sector broadcasting.
The multiplexes shall further ensure space for two commercial television stations.
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