Spanish renew DTV campaign
November 13, 2008
From David Del Valle in Madrid
Spain is to inject another E6 million into a new media campaign during Christmas to raise public awareness of the advantages of DTT with view to the forthcoming analogue switch-off in 2010.
In 2009, the Administration will allocate a E75 million budget for the development of DTT which is currently in 8.4 million homes via all distribution platforms (DTT, cable or IPTV), representing 52 per cent of all Spanish TV households, of which 6 million, 37 per cent, get the signal only through a DTT device, according to the latest report from Impulsa TDT.
Currently, DTT pulls in an average share of 18.3 per cent, with a daily reach of 8.7 million viewers who spend an average of 104 minutes a day watching DTT, above all thematic TV channels with a share of 19 per cent.
So far, 13 million DTT devices have been sold, with new 546,000 equipments in September. Six million devices are external set-top-boxes, with sales amounting an average of 175,000 units every month. Despite increasing public awareness of the imminent analogue switch-off in 2010, analogue TV sets are still being sold representing 10.9 per cent of all sales.
According to Fenitel, the Installers Association, 61.8 per cent of all buildings in Spain have been adapted to DTT, with 479,000 still to be done. Pro DTT Association, Impulsa TDT, is urging to speed up the adaptation as the progressive analogue switch-off will affect five million people by June 30th, 2009 and 15 million by December next year.