Broadcast media to go digital in 2015

$40 million-plan to remove radio and TV antennas

By June 2015, all forms of audio-visual broadcasts will shift from analogue to digital transmission, according to the Minister of Telecommunications, Nicolas Sehnaoui.

The committee tasked with studying the project’s feasibility has completed its report. Sehnaoui and the Minister of Information will submit the report to Cabinet for approval.

As per the plan, transmitters of all television and radio stations will be removed. “Only antennas belonging to the national television network, Tele Liban (TL), will be kept for digital transmission,” said Gaby Daniel, advisor at the MoT and director of satellite broadcasts. He said that TL’s antennas will be used to unify the broadcast of all existing networks.

According to Daniel, digital broadcasts allows local channels to cut down expenses. While the traditional analogue broadcast is limited to one channel per frequency, digital broadcasting allows the transmission of up to eight channels through each frequency. “Each station can have several sub-channels broadcasting over the same frequency, rather than renting a frequency for each sub-channel,” said Daniel. There are eight local broadcast frequencies already operating, for eight terrestrial broadcast channels. Digital broadcasting will raise that number to at least 30.

The transition to digital broadcasting will allow local networks to offer advanced services to domestic users. “Services like video on demand, interactive programs, and specialized channels will be made possible through the new transmission scheme,” said Daniel.

Lebanon has signed international treaties which compel the implementation of digital broadcasting before 2015. The plan will be implemented gradually. The first phase will cover Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The project will cost an estimated $40 million, including the setup box, and fees of domestic decoders. The project will be funded by the public sector.