South Africa is now some 12 years behind in its much-promised full adoption of digital television and the switching off of analogue TV signals. The initial digital switch-over was supposed to happen back in November 2011. The latest switch-over date was March 31st 2023, and the date was again missed. The delays are blamed on […]

Pressure is mounting on the UK Government to safeguard digital terrestrial TV (more commonly known as Freeview) and aerial radio services until at least 2040, following record breaking viewing figures during Eurovision and the Coronation. A coalition of groups calling for these vital services to be protected has expanded significantly in recent weeks, with a […]

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a new public-private initiative led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) to guide the next steps of NextGen TV. The ‘Future of TV’ initiative will work to identify a roadmap to orderly transition ATSC 1.0 to ATSC 3.0-based services as smoothly as possible for consumers. “Today, we are […]

South Africa is again attempting to switch off its analogue TV broadcasts. The nation’s Minister of Communications Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has set March 31st 2023 as the new date to end analogue transmissions. The date is eight years beyond the ITU’s required end of analogue broadcasts. However, this is not the first time that a switch-off […]

Louisville television viewers can now experience the future of broadcast television as five local TV stations join together to launch broadcast technology standard NEXTGEN TV, otherwise known as ATSC 3.0. Block Communications’ WBKI will host five stations including Block’s WDRB and market partners WAVE, WHAS and WBNA; Kentucky Educational Television’s (KET) WKMJ will launch on […]

Laurie Patten, Director of Strategy and Regulation at UK broadcast communications infrastructure provider Arqiva, has called in the government to guarantee the future of terrestrial TV and radio services in the UK to 2040 and beyond. Addressing the Westminster Media Forum on the future of UK media policy, Patten told delegates that a key question […]

South African broadcaster e.tv has said it knows it needs to vacate the analogue spectrum bands as soon as possible for the nation to progress. Earlier this week it won a major victory from South Africa’s Constitutional Court extending its rights to continue analogue broadcasting. But the company says it recognises that its usage of […]

The numerous delays and excuses affecting the distribution of South Africa’s digital terrestrial TV set-top boxes have been affected by a new excuse: flooding. The recent floods, which severely affected the KwaZulu-Natal region and other parts of the country’s Eastern Cape, have been cited as being responsible for the slow distribution of converter boxes. The […]

South Africa’s Communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni is facing a challenging distribution plan as part of the nation’s roll-out of digital TV services. The minister is looking to install around 450,000 set-top boxes over the next eight weeks despite having taken 6 years to distribute a similar number to would-be digital viewers. South Africa is committed […]

South Africa has again delayed its digital switchover, which was scheduled for March 31st. This latest postponement has been ordered by South Africa’s High Court which ordered communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni not to complete the analogue television switch-off as she had planned. The Court had sat in Pretoria on March 28th and ordered a delay […]