The government delegate in Castilla y León reminds the Junta that he ruled out setting up a line of aid to deal with the DTT blackout

• Regrets that the PP raises its voice to demand a helpline when during the working meetings between the Ministry, communities and television, the implementation of a helpline at the autonomous level was addressed without success, and understands that its sole objective is to generate new discord and manipulate. • The Government of Spain extended the digital blackout for more than a year with the aim of ensuring the adaptation of the TV receiver fleet to broadcasts in HD high definition format. • More than 98% of the devices are compatible and will not be affected by the blackout. • In the case of the TDT SAT (satellite) service, there are about 40,000 users in remote locations, it being necessary to check with the installer that the decoder is ready to receive HD.

February 6, 2024.- The government delegate in Castilla y León, Nicanor Sen, informs that next Wednesday, February 14, the blackout of all Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) channels will be carried out, so that from that date only those broadcasts in high definition (HD) format can be tuned on televisions. In any case, since this Tuesday, February 6, some channels, such as those dependent on RTVE, have already gone black.

A blackout that responds to European guidelines, which will allow the television consumption experience to be modernized, offering a higher quality of image and sound and which was initially scheduled for 1 January 2023. However, the Government agreed to extend the deadline to ensure the adaptation of all households.

Specifically, in June 2023 when, at the proposal of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, the Council of Ministers approved the Royal Decree extending until February 14, 2024 the deadline for all DTT channels to evolve their broadcasts to high definition (HD) and stop broadcasting in standard format (SD).

The extension of time was due to an “exceptional” situation resulting from the pandemic. The objective was that television receivers that were not adapted to receive HD broadcasts could continue to receive DTT service for another year. In addition, the gradual adaptation of the TV receiver fleet to the cessation of DTT broadcasts in standard definition (SD) was facilitated.

During this period, the Government has been working with the different communities, as well as with the television to plan this digital blackout. Meetings in which the implementation of financing plans for the purchase of decoders by the different autonomies, including the Junta de Castilla y León, was also addressed without success.

Hence, the government delegate criticizes the position adopted by the autonomous PP, which plans to bring a non-legislative proposal to the Cortes to demand that the Government of Spain establish a line of subsidies or aid for the acquisition of high-definition signal receivers or decoders.

“The PP governs this Community and, therefore, has participated in the working meetings in which this blackout has been addressed; if they have been so concerned, the question is why they have not sought previous solutions and not, a few days after the blackout, raise their voice to claim a line of aid, which shows that they have not done their job or that their only intention is to manipulate and generate a new discord,” says Sen.

98% COMPATIBLE DEVICES

From the Delegation of the Government of Castilla y León they remember that more than 98% of the devices are compatible and, therefore, they will not be affected by this blackout. HD displays are those that have at least 1920 horizontal pixels per 1080 vertical pixels. In order to view these channels, in addition to having coverage and the antenna adapted, you must have HD-compatible equipment.

In the case of the satellite DTT service, it is estimated that there are some 40,000 users throughout the country who would be affected and who would need to check with the installer that the decoder is ready to receive HD. Once it is found to be compatible, the TV channels may need to be rearranged.

The Government of Spain has carried out a campaign together with televisions to alert users to the blackout while keeping the informative web active www.televisiondigital.gob.es. For any questions or in case you need any additional clarification that facilitates the web space, you can contact the Digital Television User Service Office on 901 20 10 04.