New Communications Bill approved by Cabinet

The Italian Cabinet has approved the reforms to the television market proposed by the Minister for Communications Paolo Gentiloni. The bill introduces new regulations during the switchover phase from analogue to digital terrestrial.
According to the proposal, new measures will be introduced such as a limitation to 45% on the amount of advertising market share that a given broadcaster can hold. Currently, Mediaset has a 66% advertising market share.
The bill also calls for the removal of legal and regulatory barriers that prevent new broadcasters from entering the DTT market.
To help with switch-over, the bill proposes that broadcasters with more that 3 channels on the analogue platform make one of channels exclusively available on the DTT platform and thus switch-off of the analogue service. This would affect both RAI and Mediaset.
The bill still has to have the approval of parliament before it becomes law.
It aims to reform the existing legislation as per the Gaspari law of 2004 (law 112/2004).
Source: Digitag and   Ministry of Communications  
Item added: 17th October 2006