By deliberation of 17 February, ANACOM approved the opening of a public consultation on the rights of frequency use granted to SIC and TVI for the activity of television broadcasting.
These rights of frequency use remain in force for a 15 year period, and the mentioned companies have requested to ANACOM the renewal of the corresponding rights of frequency use.
ANACOM should set the maximum length of SIC's and TVI's rights of frequency use, taking into account the legal time-limit and any changes made to the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP), which defines the frequencies requiring rights of use and identifies their corresponding holders. It should also set the conditions attached to the renewal of those rights, in accordance with the principles of non-discrimination, proportionality and transparency.
In this scope, the matter of the validity of the rights of frequency use stands out, since analogical switch off (the ending of analogical television broadcasts) is foreseen before the end of the corresponding renewal deadline, which should happen in 2022. However, the possible setting of an expiry date for the rights of frequency use in connection with the switch-off date may be understood as a restriction to the rights of frequency use granted to SIC and TVI.
In accordance with article 20 of Law no. 5/2004 of 10 February, the modification of the conditions, rights and proceedings applicable to the activity is subject to the general consultation procedure foreseen in article 8 of the same act. For this purpose, interested parties, namely users and consumers, were granted a 20 working days’ period for comments.
Thus, the deadline for receiving comments is 23 March 2006. Comments should preferably be sent by email, to e-mail address. renovacao.dutelevisao@anacom.pt. Further to the consultation procedure, the proposals received will be released on this website and, thus, interested parties should clearly identify any content they regard as confidential.
Consult:
- Public consultation on the renewal of the rights of frequency use granted to SIC and TVI https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=449678
Consult press release:
- ANACOM launches public consultation regarding the licences of SIC and TVI for renewal purposes https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=338533
