24th January 2013, Italy. Shortly after the official announcement issued in 8 regions to obtain a new digital frequency, many local TV stations can be found closed today.
The call was launched as a result of the reorganization of the TV system after the sale of frequencies (Ch 61 to 69 UHF) to mobile operators.
The "Committee of Local Radio and Tvs", through their President Giacomo Bucchi confirms that they will promote a Class Action to request a billionaire compensation from the State for the manner in which he led the transition to DVB-T which led to the closure of dozens of tv broadcasters and the loss of thousands of jobs in the industry.
Bucchi declared: "They auctioned our frequencies to mobile operators earning 3 billion Euro and, as if that was not enough, at the last moment, they have also taken another frequency (UHF 35). So they left dozens of stations without an adequate transmission channel while there are still free channels ready for a new tender dedicated to national broadcasters.
Local TVs are a wealth of Italy, in terms of pluralism of information, employment and small business development through local advertising. Who wanted this, certainly had a narrow view to private plots that had nothing to do with the national interest.
Bucchi of the "Committee of Local Radio and Tvs" states that "The absurd law brought forth by the Berlusconi government, whose conflict of interest on the whole affair is under the eyes of all, wanted the expropriation of frequencies from local TV stations to boost the rich telephone companies, the same which, incidentally, are the major advertising revenue of the Mediaset Group."
A law that has labeled the operation "of national interest", thus justifying a kind of "martial law," which is not allowed in an urgent appeal to the Administrative Court, thereby depriving the local television of the most basic right of defense.
Yes, because we all believe that among the problems of esodati (unemployed over 50), health, education, employment, etc ... etc ... a faster connection to the internet on mobile phones is "vital for Italy"!
To whom wanted this, we can not even say, "see you in court" ... because he does not care since he has already cashed and Italian taxpayers will always be those who pay.
The Minister of Economic Development, Corrado Passera, had, in fact, made a commitment to carry out the auction of TV frequencies by 2012 or before the end of his mandate. Even today, however, the auction meets new obstacles, inherited and underestimated. Complicating the issue are the protests of two foreign countries, Croatia and Malta. In the first case, when the Ministry granted RAI the digital frequencies to serve the Adriatic regions, the signal invaded the territory of Croatia. RAI protests for the inadequacy of the frequencies on front of TAR (regional Tribunal).
In its application, Viale Mazzini (RAI) calls for new frequencies that do not interfere with broadcasters in neighboring countries, asking to be taken from those to be auctioned.
In the second case, when Mediaset and Telecom Italy obtained frequencies to launch digital terrestrial television in Sicily, they interfered with the signal of Malta, who protested in all locations, Italian and international. Also Mediaset and Telecom are prepared to take the trouble out of the Maltese area but ask for clean frequencies in return.
Bucchi closes: "The Ministry seems not lilely to meet the demands: many think it seems they do not want to affect the wealth of channels that must go to the auction."
