Competition for DTT slot as TV Centre moves to Russia’s first multiplex

The Russian government is to open up a vacated space in its proposed second digital-terrestrial multiplex after Russian president Vladimir Putin decreed that Moscow-based station TV Tsentr (TV Centre) should be included in the first multiplex across the country.

Putin ordered TV Centre to be included in the list of mandatory nationwide TV channels on April 20, joining a list that includes Rossiya 1 and 2, Rossiya 24, Pěrviy Kanal, NTV, Pyatiy Kanal, Kultura and Karusel, as well as a proposed new public broadcast channel, set to begin broadcasting next month.

The second multiplex comprises 10 channels but is not subject to mandatory retransmission by cable and satellite operators. Channels include Ren TV, CTC, Domashniy, Sport from RTR, Sport Plus from NTV-Plus, military channel Star, Mir, TNT and Muz-TV.