Flemish analogue switchover in 2008

The Flemish speaking community in Belgium will switch completely to a “DTT only” platform at the end of 2008 according to a government announcement. Belgium is a highly cabled country with 97% of the population using cable systems to access television programmes and it is thought that only 60,000 homes still view over the air TV, only. A further 80,000 to 180,000 homes access TV using both cable and over the air TV.
At present VRT is available over the air whilst VTM and VT4 are distributed via cable and satellite. After analogue switch off, all will be available on the DTT platform and licences will also be offered to commercial broadcasters. Mobile TV using DVB-H is also expected to be used later according to Flemish minister of media, Geert Bourgeois.
Source: Broadband TV News
Item added: 5th March 2007