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DTT transmissions began in Saudi Arabia on the 11th June 2006
The first phase of digital terrestrial television (DTT) transmission in Saudi Arabia was launched on the 11th June in the main cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, the Arab News reports.
Assistant Deputy Minister of Culture and Information for Engineering Affairs, Riyadh Najm, said: "The southern city of Abha and the central city of Buraidah will also have the facility within this month."
"By February next year the DTT system will cover not less than 23 cities and that accounts for more than 70 percent of the population," he added.
He said the DTT technology would allow people to receive all the four Saudi channels — Channel One, Channel Two, Arriyadiah and Al-Ekhbariya — as well as the Saudi radio programmes — General Programme, Radio Qur’an, Second Programme and European Programme — with better clarity.
Source: ABU website
Item added: 26th June 2006

Saudi TV Going Digital
Addressing a press conference in Riyadh on the 11th April, Minister for Culture and Information Iyad Madani said the contract by Stesa, the local subsidiary of Thales, would enable Saudi TV to telecast high resolution images both on its Arabic and English channels.
Thales is the prime contractor for the project.
The minister announced that the project includes the supply of state of the art broadcasting transmission equipment for 22 stations in major Saudi cities as well as a network supervision system to monitor the status of the entire transmission chain from the control room in Riyadh.
Saudi will  begin to go digital in June and it is likely that the system will be extended to cover the whole country later.
Source: Menafn.com
Item added: 25th April 2006

Saudi Arabia to get digital terrestrial TV network

Digital television over a terrestrial network is to be rolled out across Saudi Arabia beginning this year.

The news was announced to the closing session of the CabSat 2006 Broadcasting Conference in Dubai by Riyadh Najm, Assistant Deputy Minister for Engineering Affairs in the Ministry of Culture and Information.

This decision follows trials conducted in Riyadh during 2004/5. The roll out starts with five major cities, where it will be completed by June 2006.

The target is to cover a total of 22 cities by the end of February 2007, serving 70 percent of the population.

The single multiplex service will carry four TV channels with a mix of existing Saudi Arabian TV channels plus a new channel designed for the Saudi market.  The service will also carry four radio programmes. 

Responding to a question as to why the ministry had elected to begin digital TV over a terrestrial network, when the majority of home received satellite signals, Dr Najm reminded participants that the people of his country were quite conservative, and that this included their television viewing patterns.

Most of the population had not signed up for satellite services, despite the fact there was a wide range of programming available for free. The terrestrial network
was a most appropriate solution for bringing digital television to Saudi Arabia. 

He said set top boxes would not be subsidised and the introduction of interactive TV via the MHP standard platform would be a feature of the new service. The ministry would conduct a wide ranging promotion using all forms of media outlets to foster the uptake of the new service, Dr Najm said.

Source: ABU
Item added: 14th March 2006

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Last page update: 26th June 2006, Barry Tew