In the Romanian Official Gazette, Part I, no. 423 dated June 15, 2015 it was published the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 18/2015 on the establishment of measures necessary to ensure the transition from analogue terrestrial television to digital terrestrial television and implementation of multimedia services at national level and also for amending the Audiovisual Law no. 504/2002.
The Emergency Ordinance includes measures to ensure the transition from analogue terrestrial television to digital terrestrial, as well as measures to support audiovisual economic operators that produce and broadcast programs with specific information, education and cultural public interest.
Thus, it is provided that the emission on terrestrial radio broadcasting public service and private television analogue system, on the radio frequency band 174-230 MHz, can continue temporarily, until 31 December 2016, under a technical agreement issued by the National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications, with the conditions laid down in the law.
Moreover, the normative act stipulates that the rights of use of radio frequencies granted according to Law. 504/2002, for providing public radio services on terrestrial radio can be extended temporarily, until 31 December 2016. The use of radio frequencies for the provision of public radio services on terrestrial radio after that period above is conditional upon obtaining a broadcasting license. The validity of a broadcasting license shall be of 9 years.
The Emergency Ordinance also provides incentives for economic operators who produce and broadcasts audiovisual informative, cultural, educational and public interest shows, as they can benefit from funding under a State aid scheme approved by Government Decision in compliance with national and European state aid law.
The total budget of the state aid scheme amounts to 67.5 million lei, the equivalent of 15 million euro, with the possibility of supplementing. The validity of the state aid scheme shall be 1 July 2015 to 31 December 2016 with the possibility of extension.
:: The Source: JURIDICE.ro
