Ofcom to review the future of UK DTT by end of 2025 - UK Gov White Paper

The Cush

In a UK government white paper published on Thursday on public service broadcasting the future of DTT is to be reviewed by the end of 2025.

Broadcasting reforms to create new golden age of British TV and help nation’s public service broadcasters thrive - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The white paper proposes the sale of Channel 4, freezing the TV licence fee, regulating on-demand services etc. On the terrestrial front it tasks Ofcom to review the future of DTT transmission by the end of 2025, continued support for the NIMux, local DTT mux licences to be aligned with national mux licences

• Enabling the long term renewal of DTT multiplex licences through to 2034. In addition, the government will ask Ofcom to continue to track changes to DTT viewing and to undertake an early review on market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025.
• Continuing to support long term commitments to support cross-border broadcasting on the island of Ireland including funding for the Northern Ireland digital terrestrial television multiplex that has carried RTÉ and TG4 services to Northern Ireland since 2012. We will also consider the scope to ensure the prominence of regional and minority language services.
• Make changes to the local TV licensing regime to enable the extension of the local TV multiplex licence until 2034 and subject to the same conditions that apply to the national digital terrestrial television (DTT) multiplexes. We will consult on options for the renewal or relicensing of individual local television services at the same time.

It also reintroduces the deregulation of UK commercial radio, which was the subject of a similar consultation back in 2017. This would have allowed non UK radio services, including Irish radio stations, to be carried on UK terrestrial networks. No legislation was ever introduced. Discussed in the RTE LW thread at the time - The future of RTE Radio 1 LW - Page 27 — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin'

The Government consulted on a package of measures to deregulate commercial radio in 2017. Since then the Digital Radio and Audio Review, which was published in October 2021, has assessed the potential impact of the rapid changes in technology and listener behaviour on future radio listening, reaching a clear conclusion that a greater focus is needed on investment in radio and audio content and in how this reaches listeners. The Government remains committed to legislating to give effect to the conclusions of the 2017 consultation on radio deregulation when parliamentary time allows. This will include allowing Ofcom to be able to license some overseas radio services for the first time –  specifically those based in the Republic of Ireland – and for the DCMS Secretary of State to add other countries to the list of services that Ofcom can license.

The Cush

On DTT it said

5.3 Digital terrestrial television Digital terrestrial television (DTT), better known to audiences as the Freeview platform, is a popular and important part of the UK’s broadcasting system. Sufficient spectrum (certain radio frequencies) is allocated to DTT to ensure that content on the platform is universally available, due to its nearly 99% coverage across the UK.

In December 2020, the Government carried out a consultation which sought views on the renewal of five national multiplex licences on the DTT platform expiring in 2022 and 2026. The consultation closed in February 2021 and the Government published its response on 17 August 2021. In our response we confirmed that we would put in place legislation to give Ofcom the power to carry out a renewal of all five national multiplexes until 2034, accompanied by the appropriate regulatory flexibility via the inclusion of a new revocation power where revocation cannot take effect before the end of 2030.

This legislation is now in force and the longer-term renewals recognise our commitment to the DTT platform. Our expectation, based on the high level of DTT used by households across all parts of the UK, is that it will continue to be an important content distribution channel for at least the remainder of the 2020s and likely into the early 2030s.

This is the UK government consultation on the automatic renewal of the PSB and commercial multiplexes licences referred to in the quote above - Consultation on the renewal of digital terrestrial television (DTT) multiplex licences expiring in 2022 and 2026 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The legislation that followed on from the consultation - Television Multiplex Services (Renewal of Multiplex Licences) Order 2021

Mux 2 and Mux A licences were renewed in March by Ofcom for a further 12 years to 2034, in advance of their expiry in Dec. The three commercial mux licences will be renewed automatically in 2026 and aligned with the PSB muxes expiry date in 2034. The BBC Mux 1 licence expires in 2027 and is covered under the BBC Charter - TV broadcast licensing monthly updates - Ofcom

The new licences contain a revocation clause, which means the licences can be withdrawn following appropriate notice. In line with EU legislation, which guarantees terrestrial spectrum until at least the end of 2030, the UK has a similar guarantee until the end of 2030 and any revocation cannot happen until 2031 at the earliest.

In September 2021, the Government announced changes to national DTT multiplex licensing legislation. The changes enable Ofcom to extend licences issued to the BBC, other PSBs and to other commercial operators until 2034 (subject to a new revocation power, which cannot take effect before the end of 2030)

The Cush

On the Ofcom 2025 review

We recognise that the DTT platform and its future will continue to remain an ongoing area of interest for the sector and that this will be an important area for the UK in developing the UK’s position for the next International Telecoms Union World Radio Conference in 2023 where the future allocation of the spectrum currently allocated to DTT will be a substantive agenda item. Maintaining investment and confidence in the future of the DTT platform is important which is why the Government has enabled the long term renewal of the licences through to 2034. In addition, the Government will ask Ofcom to continue to track changes to DTT viewing and to undertake an early review on market changes that may affect the future of content distribution before the end of 2025.

Last year the Government made a clear commitment to DTT as the primary delivery platform for live TV for many years to come, but there are many who believe that IPTV could replace DTT over time, just like DTT replaced traditional analogue television. In time, this could free up the airwaves for other uses – as the switch-off of analogue services facilitated the rollout of the 4G mobile services – though an increased reliance on internet bandwidth for TV distribution could create pressures on fixed networks. Any consideration of switching away from DTT would need to reconcile more wide-ranging issues, such as the fact that receiving and watching DTT is ‘free’ if you pay for your TV licence, but to receive and watch IPTV also currently requires that consumers have access to a sufficiently fast broadband connection. While the future of distribution is uncertain, and decisions on IPTV do not need to be taken now, there will need to be extensive public debate on these issues in due course. These are also the type of issues we would expect Ofcom’s 2025 review of DTT to start to consider.

Consultation on this won't begin until the results of WRC-23 are published.

At WRC-23, planned to take place in Geneva in late 2023, the complete UHF band 470-960 MHz is being reviewed under agenda item 1.5 for ITU Region 1. This region includes Europe, Africa, Middle East and the CIS.

It is likely that the 600 MHz band could be allocated to mobile services following the review, 598/606-694 MHz maybe? If this happens those countries wanting to maintain DTT networks will have to move to newer modulation and compression standards, eg DVB-T2/HEVC, to maintain existing services. Germany already uses this spec so they would have to look at newer specs or other options at that time - enter 5G broadcast.

A recent ITU survey of European members indicated they wanted to maintain the status quo as regards DTT spectrum.

Digifriendly

IMHO DTT will be phased out altogether within the next 10-15 years in UK. Streaming will replace it. I can also see the end of satellite services in favour of streaming.

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119004411#Comment_119004411

This is likely, 5g broadcast and its future iterations will probably replace what we use today for linear wireless broadcasting. WRC-23 will lay a roadmap for that.

The Cush

On the NImux and TG4

We will also continue to support long term commitments to support cross-border broadcasting on the island of Ireland including funding for the Northern Ireland digital terrestrial television multiplex that has carried RTÉ and TG4 services to Northern Ireland since 2012. We will also consider the scope to ensure the prominence of regional and minority language services

The NImux licence expires 24 Oct 2024 and will be up for renewal, commitment from the UK government to extend the licence beyond that date.

Northern Ireland Licence incl Variation 5 (ofcom.org.uk)

Possibility that TG4 might move up the epg, as a regional language service, like S4C and BBC Alba. LCN 7 or 8 are options.

galtee boy

The cross border broadcasting on the island of Ireland never extended to BBC 1 & 2 NI being made available on Saorview. Wasn't there talks about it happening back in the day ?

Gerry Wicklow

If memory serves I think it was more just speculation on social media that it would be a two-way process.

The Cush

Iirc it was just a badly worded press release that was quickly corrected.

galtee boy

I would hazard a wild guess that it may well have been discussed behind the scenes, but Sky, Virgin and whoever else was carrying the BBC channels in ROI at the time, probably had a hissy fit over the possibility of BBC on Saorview, as the carriage of the BBC channels was a big selling point on the pay tv platforms.

decor58

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119005358#Comment_119005358

Did it not come down to cost, who pays for the retransmission of the signal, the channels are free to rebroadcast but Saorview would have to bear the cost, from my understanding.

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119007995#Comment_119007995

No, the discussion never got that far, in public at least.

Just to close out this off-topic discussion on a 12 year old issue, the problem was the text of the press releases from the Irish and UK government Depts (Dept. of Communications, UK's Dept. for Media, Culture and Sport and Northern Ireland Office) - Government agreement: Free-To-Air RTE in NI, BBC in RoI on DTT platform - Page 5 — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin'. The original PR was published on a Monday, followed by the amended PR on Friday.

The MoU between the two governments never made any reference to BBC services being made available FTA on Irish DTT and the text of the document remained unchanged - Government agreement: Free-To-Air RTE in NI, BBC in RoI on DTT platform — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin'

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the UK on digital broadcasting on 1 February 2010, it was found that a reference in the joint press release in relation to facilitating the provision of BBC services in Ireland did not accord with the text of the Memorandum. Following agreement between the two administrations, the press release was amended.

Sam Russell

My understanding of the BBC on free to air in Ireland was that it was intended to be part of the deal, but no-one asked the BBC or the then current network operators. The deal then fell apart. Oooops.

The Cush

Bringing this thread up to date, the UK Media Bill is nearing the end of it passage thru the UK Parliament and Ofcom is preparing for this by publishing a roadmap for the changes ahead.

https://rxtvinfo.com/2024/ofcom-plans-to-implement-biggest-changes-to-uk-tv-this-century/

Since I started this thread the Draft Media Bill was published last March and the sale of Channel 4 was abandoned

Irish interest would be related to the deregulation of commercial radio in the UK that would allow foreign radio stations, like RTÉ, to be carried on UK DAB Muxes

This from the original Draft Bill

Part 5 section 40 refers to the licensing of non-UK radio services on local and small scale DAB multiplexes

334 Subsection (2) amends section 245 to provide that a digital radio service provided from a qualifying country (as specified by the Secretary of State by regulations) and broadcast by means of a local or small-scale radio multiplex service also falls to be regulated by OFCOM. The Secretary of State intends to specify Ireland as a qualifying country with the effect that Raidió Teilifís Éireann (the Irish national broadcaster) and other Irish commercial and community radio station operators can apply for digital licences for their radio services and ultimately for those services to be broadcast in the United Kingdom.

section 41 removes Ofcom's radio multiplex content oversight, multiplex operators are "free to decide the number and nature of radio stations which they carry"

337 An application for a licence will no longer be required to include proposals about the number and characteristics of digital radio services to broadcast on the multiplex. The effect of this clause is to remove OFCOM’s function of overseeing the ‘line-ups’ of national and local radio multiplexes. This will mean that applicants for a national or local radio multiplex licence are required to satisfy OFCOM that they are able to deliver a service with sufficient geographical coverage and which is likely to be sustainable, and that they will act in a manner calculated to ensure fair and effective competition (as required by the remaining provisions of sections 46, 47, 50 and 51 of the 1996 Act), but are otherwise free to decide the number and nature of radio stations which they carry. This change, which reflects the maturity of the digital radio market and the availability of a wide range of radio stations across the UK, will allow for simpler arrangements between multiplex operators and OFCOM.

The future of RTE Radio 1 LW - Page 62 — boards.ie - Now Ye're Talkin'

UK commercial radio deregulation and the carriage of RTÉ Radio on UK DAB multiplexes was discussed over in the now closed Future of LW Radio 1 thread. The UK deregulation consultation took place back in 2017, but other issues like Brexit delayed the process.

Part 5 Section 46 Licensing of non-UK digital sound programme services, of the current iteration of the Media Bill, refers

“(c) digital sound programme services that do not fall within paragraph (a) or (b) but— (i) are provided from a place in a qualifying country, and (ii) are or are intended to be broadcast by means of a local radio multiplex service or small-scale radio multiplex service.”

“qualifying country” means a country or territory outside the United Kingdom that is specified in regulations made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of subsection (1)(c); “small-scale radio multiplex service” has the same meaning as in section 258A.”

• Part 5 updates the regulatory framework for commercial radio. Commercial radio services in the UK are currently regulated under a licensing framework that is, in large part, more than 30 years old. This section reflects the conclusions of the Government’s 2017 consultation on commercial radio deregulation to remove outdated regulatory burdens on radio services, while protecting and strengthening the provision of local news.

Media Bill: Ofcom’s roadmap to regulation

Have these regulations come too late for RTÉ? It's going on almost a decade since RTÉ sought a place on the Manchester small-scale DAB mux but couldn't be issued with the necessary licence at the time. LW has gone, listeners may have moved to online sources.