David de Jong writes: From today (9 January) BBC World News ends its digital terrestrial distribution in Italy. The international news and information-channel of the commercial arm of BBC has been distributed nationwide in Italy free to air through DVB-T since October 2003. It was the only English language channel in Italy which was distributed terrestrially 24 hours a day. A re-ordening of the frequency space of Mediaset seems to be one of the reasons of the end of this distribution. Also Sportitalia and Sportitalia 24 are eleminated from the Mediaset capacity. But these free-to-air sport-channels owned by French TF1 and Tarak Ben Amar have found new capacity on a digital frequency owned by Telecom Italia Media.
It was remarkable that BBC World News was distributed by Mediaset, the company in which Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and his family has the largest stake. Probably distribution of BBC World News was a move in order to prevent other parties from leasing capacity, as it was obliged to offer a certain percentage to third parties. In Italy very few people are able to understand the level of English spoken on BBC World News. In new legislation a certain percentage of capacity is assigned to third parties by the communications authority AGCOM. BBC World News did not apply for this frequency space.
The only foreign TV channel which will continue to be nationally distributed in Italy is the French version of France 24, the international news channel of France (owned by France Televisions and TF1). France 24 is carried by Italian editor Gruppo L’Espresso which also owns a nationwide digital frequency. CNN International continues to be broadcast daily, but only at nighttime between approximately 04 and 06 hrs CET on the national (analogue and digital) TV station La 7.
Italy currently has 6.9 milion households with digital terrestrial set top boxes. Approximately 7 million households which have access to the Hotbird satellite in Italy (including 4.6 million Sky Italia customers) continue to receive BBC World News, as it is broadcast free to air on this satellite. In total Italy has more then 21 milion households. Italy is working on an analogue switchover to digital only per region.
Update 2000 UTC: BBC World News is still being broadcast today. Although broadcasts should have been ended on the digital terrestrial capacity of Mediaset, the channel moved from the first to the second digital multiplex/frequency of Mediaset. According to Italian reports Alphabet TV which should have been launched today is delayed. Until launch of this channel BBC World News might continue its broadcasts. The date is not known, but reports confirm the end of digital terrestrial distribution in Italy of BBC World News.
on Jan 9th, 2009 at 20:17
BBC World has not disappeared from Italian digital tv.
Mediaset has only reshuffled their multiplex. BBC World has been relocated from multiplex Mediaset 1 to Mediaset 2.
I’m watching BBC World, now at 21.18 local time in central Italy.
on Nov 27th, 2010 at 10:02
Today, 27th November, 2010, there is no BBC World broadcast.
Does anyone know if It will appear again on Italian digital TV.
on Nov 27th, 2010 at 16:01
It was pretty much the only source of impartial news in Italy. But being impartial means not broadcasting news critical of Italian Politicians - particularly the owner of Mediaset.
BBC World is available on free to air satellite, and the picture is better than on digital terrestrial.
on Nov 27th, 2010 at 17:44
why don’t you get your SW receiver out of the closet? BBC WS from Ascension (17825) is good throughout the day in Italy. Not to mention the internet and satelite.
on Dec 4th, 2010 at 19:25
It is a shame that BBC is no longer available in Italy. It was the only true source of real International news around the world, including trueful Italian news. 99% of Daily Italian TV, radio, and newspaper politics is too much. It gets really old after hours of the same dull theme.