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Roskomnadzor starts forming 2nd digital broadcast multiplex

Сurrently 19 companies are bidding for 10 slots

MOSCOW, November 22 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor) within 10 days will check applications submitted by the TV channels for the entry into the second digital multiplex or a package of TV channels, the agency secretary Vladimir Pikov told Itar-Tass on Thursday, adding that currently 19 companies are bidding for 10 slots.

According to Pikov, only after a check it will becomes clear how many channels will be admitted to the tender.

Roskomnadzor is a federal executive authority entitled to carry out permitting and licensing activities, validation and supervision in the spheres of telecommunications, information technologies and mass media. Roskomnadzor is an authorised agency entitled to protect personal data and owners’ rights. Under the jurisdiction of the RF Communications Ministry, Roskomnadzor’s activities are aimed at the following objectives: meeting the society demand in high-quality telecommunication services, as well as information and communication technologies; promoting mass communications and freedom of mass media; ensuring protection of citizens’ rights to privacy, personal and family confidentiality.

The reception of applications for the right to broadcast in the second multiplex ended on Wednesday. TV channels that will be eligible to work in it, will be determined in a competition on December 14. According to the tender terms, each channel should broadcast around the clock and every day, the concept of broadcasting will be free, and the percentage of the domestically made programs on the air should be no less than 55, against the programs produced abroad. The lump sum payment for the right to broadcast will be 36.095 million roubles, the size of the participation fee – 721,900 roubles.

Roskomnadzor has not named the TV stations that have submitted applications, but the TNT, MTV, 2 · 2, TV3, CTC, Domashny, Perets (Pepper), RenTV, Rain, O2TV and Komsomolskaya Pravda channels have officially confirmed this fact.

The transition to digital broadcasting in Russia will be completed in 2015. It is planned that Russians will be able to watch 3 packages of digital channels. The composition of the first package or multiplex has already been defined: it consists of Channel One, Rossiya 1, Rossiya 2, NTV, Petersburg Channel Five, Russia Culture, Rosiya-24 and Carousel.