Ofcom to consult on Sky DTT in the autumn
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Ofcom says it will conduct a consultation on proposals from BSkyB and its digital terrestrial multiplex partner National Grid Wireless (NGW) to replace three free-to-view channels with pay-TV services on the UK's digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform. Ofcom said the 10-week consultation was expected to be launched in the autumn "provided there are no further delays in the conclusion of outstanding technical and commercial issues between the applicants". A statement would then be published early next year.
Ofcom stressed that in the meantime NGW was "obliged to ensure that Sky's free-to-air channels remain on the DTT platform pending the outcome of Ofcom's review".
In February Sky said it planned to remove Sky News, Sky Sports News and Sky Three from Freeview and use the capacity to broadcast four subscription channels offering movies, entertainment and live Premiership football.
Sky said the four channels would deploy latest MPEG-4 video compression technology, but now Ofcom says Sky is not proposing to use MPEG-4 "at this stage".
Ofcom said in February its consultation would need to focus on whether the loss of the free-to-air channels "would be compensated for by the proposed introduction of the new pay television channels".
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