Romanian digital TV multiplex winner starts bid for EUR 100 million digital antennas contract

Romanian state-owned company Societatea Nationala de Radiocomunicatii (SNR), which won the digital TV licenses earlier this year, will buy turn-key antennas needed to turn on digital TV on a national level, according to Hotnews.ro. The contract is worth some EUR 100 million, including financing costs, and the company that will won the bid will also has to come up with a financing plan. SNR, which runs under the commercial brand Radiocom, will finalize the bid for antennas and broadcasting systems on December 4, 2014. Two contracts valid 30 months will be signed. In June 2015, the analog TV broadcasting by terrestrial radio waves will stop, and be replaced with digital terrestrial broadcasting for all TV and multimedia programs. This will allow for a superior broadcasting quality and for broadcasting more channel in the same spectral space needed for a single analog program. SNR won three of the five multiplexes the authorities auctioned off this year, and will pay EUR 1 million for the license. By end-2016, about 90% of Romania’s population will be able to view for free 12 to 16 Standard Definition TV programs, or three High Definition (HD) programs and 4-5 Standard Definition programs. editor@romania-insider.com