Italia suspends free DTT channels

Italia has frozen intends to license new digital TV wavelengths free of charge -- a blow for former pm Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset TV empire.On Friday the lately installed government, headed by Mario Monti, suspended for 3 months the so-known as "beauty contest" tender, setup under Berlusconi's administration to award new DTT wavelengths.The tender designated wavelengths free of charge to tv stations dedicated to massive opportunities, coupled with belong to attack by experts declaring it preferred incumbents, including Mediaset.Mediaset, Italy's top commercial broadcaster, blasted your decision inside a statement, protecting the wonder contest as legitimate and vowed to do something to help keep that old rules.But industry minister Corrado Passera established that the federal government, pressurized to boost cash, will probably scrap it."The wonder contest was selected within an economical and social context not the same as the present one," he stated."At any given time once the government is requesting sacrifices from the people -- and also, since TV wavelengths really are a scarce and precious resource -- we're taking a while to locate solutions which are more coherent using the growth, equity and austerity plan of the government."In September, 10 companies, including Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia, requested one frequency band within the contest.But Sky Italia drawn out recently, stating a convoluted procedure that preferred existing gamers.Italo merchant bank Mediobanca has believed when the federal government auctions the licenses it might raise as much as $2 billion. Contact Nick Vivarelli at nvivarelli@gmail.com