TV Koper-Capodistria to stop satellite broadcasts
November 4, 2019
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The broadcasting of TV Koper-Capodistria via the Eutelsat HotBird satellite will cease on November 9th.
The Deputy Director General for Radio and Television for the Autochthonous Italian National Community, Antonio Rocco, said that it was no longer possible to extend the satellite capacity leasing agreement due to the lack of necessary financial resources,
The satellite broadcasts of the Slovenia-based TV channel were primarily intended for the Italian national communities in Slovenia and Croatia, but they also had an audience in parts of Italy.
Alternative broadcasting solutions have been considered, including retransmitting TV Koper-Capodistria on DTT in Croatia. Similar initiatives have also been examined in Italy, such as cable and internet distribution.
The free app, Capo4distria, is already available for mobile devices and smart TVs, while programmes can also be followed via a dedicated multimedia portal.
For its part, the editorial board of TV Koper-Capodistria in the Italian language has appealed to the Italian and Slovenian governments, the Italian national community in Slovenia and Croatia, and public broadcaster Radio Televizija Slovenija to continue satellite broadcasting.
It claims that all attempts to maintain satellite broadcasting or to find suitable alternative solutions have failed, including the use of DTT transmitters in the Istria-Kvarner region.
In addition, it warns that the loss of the satellite signal would represent a “severe blow” to the Italian national community living in Istria, Rijeka and Dalmatia, as well as in the Italian border regions, as it would “wipe out an important cultural and TV link in a multicultural, multiethnic and cross-border area”.