DTT options still changing

The two week deadline given to the Eircom backed One Vision consortium for a decision in April culminated in the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) withdrawing its licence offer and offering it to Liberty Global’s Easy TV instead.
A spokeswoman for Liberty Global in Ireland told Broadband TV News that the offer was “under consideration”. Liberty’s partner in Easy TV is RTE, the public broadcaster that will also run a free-to-air multiplex on the Irish system, and has been at the centre of disputes with both OneVision and the Boxer consortium beforehand.
Liberty’s Irish cable operations, currently running under the separate Chorus and NTL monikers, will shortly rebrand as UPC.
Following the intervention of communications minister Eamon Ryan, requiring RTE to make its free-to-air DTT service available to 90% of the population by October 31, 2010, Ireland is still optimistic of meeting the 2012 EU deadline for analogue switch off.
Main source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 10th May 2010