Forbidden fruit
Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2025 8:53 am
Cellular operators traditionally lay claim to frequencies used for analog TV broadcasting. However, as Alexey Malinin stated, Russian communications companies have not yet received a single frequency from the broadcasting industry.
Commenting in August 2023 on kazakhstan whatsapp number database the draft strategy for the development of the communications industry until 2035, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, named the 700 MHz range, which is currently used for analog TV, among the promising frequency bands for 5G networks.
However, it turned out that broadcasters occupy a small share of the 700 MHz range - more precisely, the 694-790 MHz band, which broadcasters call the upper decimeter range. Roman Klimas found out that out of 1629 frequencies used for analog terrestrial television, only 162 nominals, or less than 10%, fall into the 694-790 MHz band. The majority of analog TV channels (1229 RICH) broadcast in the lower decimeter range (470-694 MHz), and 238 channels chose the meter range (174-230 MHz) for analog TV.
Cover operation
Some TV channels voluntarily leave the analogue broadcast. For example, this is what the Yenisei TV channel from Krasnoyarsk did on January 1, 2020. "We are keeping up with the times and following our colleagues, we are switching off ineffective analogue broadcasting in the region. This is due to the transition to more modern broadcasting formats - in digital quality. In addition, most TV viewers have long been watching Yenisei on cable, through the satellite operators Tricolor and Telekarta or on the Internet. Our programs can also be seen on the federal channel OTR from 6 to 9 am and from 5 to 7 pm," said Natalya Kotova, Deputy Director of the Yenisei TV channel.
Not all TV channels that maintain analog broadcasting do so out of concern for viewers. Some of them cling to analog broadcasting in order to retain the ability to place advertising. The fact is that back in 2015, amendments to the law "On Advertising" (No. 38-FZ) came into force. In its current version, Article 14.1 states: "It is not permitted to distribute advertising in TV programs, TV shows on TV channels, access to which is carried out exclusively on a paid basis and (or) with the use of decoding technical devices." Thus, all cable channels are deprived of the opportunity to earn money by selling advertising time.
At the same time, the same article of Law No. 38-FZ contains a reservation: "TV channels, access to which is carried out exclusively on a paid basis and (or) with the use of decoding technical devices, are not recognized as ... TV channels distributed on the territory of the Russian Federation using a limited radio frequency resource through terrestrial broadcasting." Therefore, it is enough for a cable channel to obtain a RICH for analog TV anywhere in Russia, as it comes out from under the legislative restriction and can place commercials in the broadcast grid.
The launch of the new version of Federal Law No. 38, which limited advertising opportunities for non-terrestrial channels, was preceded by a scandalous story. On the last day of 2014, one day before the amendments came into force, 40 television channels received licenses from Roskomnadzor to broadcast in a universal environment, including on the 34th frequency channel (34 TVK) in Moscow. Among the lucky ones were 14 channels produced by VGTRK structures, 12 channels of Gazprom-Media Holding, five of Channel One, five of Rostelecom, and one each from Aram Gabrelyanov's News Media holding, TNT, Moscow Media OJSC, which is controlled by the capital's authorities, and European Broadcasting Company OJSC, which broadcast the Euronews* channel (16% of its shares belonged to VGTRK).
On the sidelines of the XXVII International NAT Congress, many market participants agreed that the extension of the RICH for analog TV until the end of 2024 is connected with the March presidential elections in Russia and a new extension for 2025 should not be expected. Alexey Zemsky, CEO of JSC NTV Television Company, disagrees. Citing the Research Institute of Radio, he reported that it will take at least a year and a half to develop a new radio frequency plan alone, and the transition to other frequencies will require another four to five years.
.
* - in March 2022, access to the Euronews TV channel website in Russia was restricted by decision of the Prosecutor General's Office, and the TV channel's Internet address was included in the register of prohibited information of Roskomnadzor.
Commenting in August 2023 on kazakhstan whatsapp number database the draft strategy for the development of the communications industry until 2035, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, named the 700 MHz range, which is currently used for analog TV, among the promising frequency bands for 5G networks.
However, it turned out that broadcasters occupy a small share of the 700 MHz range - more precisely, the 694-790 MHz band, which broadcasters call the upper decimeter range. Roman Klimas found out that out of 1629 frequencies used for analog terrestrial television, only 162 nominals, or less than 10%, fall into the 694-790 MHz band. The majority of analog TV channels (1229 RICH) broadcast in the lower decimeter range (470-694 MHz), and 238 channels chose the meter range (174-230 MHz) for analog TV.
Cover operation
Some TV channels voluntarily leave the analogue broadcast. For example, this is what the Yenisei TV channel from Krasnoyarsk did on January 1, 2020. "We are keeping up with the times and following our colleagues, we are switching off ineffective analogue broadcasting in the region. This is due to the transition to more modern broadcasting formats - in digital quality. In addition, most TV viewers have long been watching Yenisei on cable, through the satellite operators Tricolor and Telekarta or on the Internet. Our programs can also be seen on the federal channel OTR from 6 to 9 am and from 5 to 7 pm," said Natalya Kotova, Deputy Director of the Yenisei TV channel.
Not all TV channels that maintain analog broadcasting do so out of concern for viewers. Some of them cling to analog broadcasting in order to retain the ability to place advertising. The fact is that back in 2015, amendments to the law "On Advertising" (No. 38-FZ) came into force. In its current version, Article 14.1 states: "It is not permitted to distribute advertising in TV programs, TV shows on TV channels, access to which is carried out exclusively on a paid basis and (or) with the use of decoding technical devices." Thus, all cable channels are deprived of the opportunity to earn money by selling advertising time.
At the same time, the same article of Law No. 38-FZ contains a reservation: "TV channels, access to which is carried out exclusively on a paid basis and (or) with the use of decoding technical devices, are not recognized as ... TV channels distributed on the territory of the Russian Federation using a limited radio frequency resource through terrestrial broadcasting." Therefore, it is enough for a cable channel to obtain a RICH for analog TV anywhere in Russia, as it comes out from under the legislative restriction and can place commercials in the broadcast grid.
The launch of the new version of Federal Law No. 38, which limited advertising opportunities for non-terrestrial channels, was preceded by a scandalous story. On the last day of 2014, one day before the amendments came into force, 40 television channels received licenses from Roskomnadzor to broadcast in a universal environment, including on the 34th frequency channel (34 TVK) in Moscow. Among the lucky ones were 14 channels produced by VGTRK structures, 12 channels of Gazprom-Media Holding, five of Channel One, five of Rostelecom, and one each from Aram Gabrelyanov's News Media holding, TNT, Moscow Media OJSC, which is controlled by the capital's authorities, and European Broadcasting Company OJSC, which broadcast the Euronews* channel (16% of its shares belonged to VGTRK).
On the sidelines of the XXVII International NAT Congress, many market participants agreed that the extension of the RICH for analog TV until the end of 2024 is connected with the March presidential elections in Russia and a new extension for 2025 should not be expected. Alexey Zemsky, CEO of JSC NTV Television Company, disagrees. Citing the Research Institute of Radio, he reported that it will take at least a year and a half to develop a new radio frequency plan alone, and the transition to other frequencies will require another four to five years.
.
* - in March 2022, access to the Euronews TV channel website in Russia was restricted by decision of the Prosecutor General's Office, and the TV channel's Internet address was included in the register of prohibited information of Roskomnadzor.