Local DTT in Euskadi: local and independent leaders

On April 3, 2010, the definitive analogue blackout occurred in the Basque Autonomous Community, with local television stations being the last agents to join the link in the digital chain. In this way, more than three years of transition towards digital switching culminated, which began in December 2006 with the call, by the Basque Government, of the license competition for the development of local DTT in the Autonomous Community. In this Tribune, journalist Leire Gómez Rubio reviews how Basque audiovisual media has been configured after the blackout.

On April 3, 2010, the definitive analogue blackout occurred in the Basque Autonomous Community, with local television stations being the last agents to join the link in the digital chain. In this way, more than three years of transition towards digital switching culminate, which began in December 2006 with the call, by the Basque Government, of the license competition for the development of local DTT in the Autonomous Community. At that time, the communication groups present in the local Basque audiovisual scene showed great interest in being present in the new stage and the resolution of the process, made public in July 2007 by the Lakua executive, was very favorable to them. Not in vain, of the 57 licenses awarded for the indirect management of the television service, 54 fall into the hands of the communication groups and local television associations that have participated in the sector since 2000 (Vocento, Localia TV and Local Media), as well as Hamaika Telebista Hedatzeko Taldea, a Basque group created on the eve of the distribution of digital licenses and whose objective is to create quality local television in Basque.

Given this situation, everything indicated that the development of local DTT in Euskadi would be in the hands of communication conglomerates, either autonomous or state-run, with almost no space for independent local Basque television. A trend that, on the other hand, would continue in the same line as that maintained in recent years by the sector, dominated by more than 80% by communication groups and local television associations. However, reality is taking the sector in other directions, at least during these first months of digital emissions.

The Prisa group was the first to announce, in November 2008, the cessation of the activity of Localia TV, a local television network owned by Pretesa. The decision was made on January 1, 2009, leaving the broadcasts of four local television stations on the air in the Basque Autonomous Community, which represented 20% of the sector (Localia Canal Gipuzkoa Televisión, Localia Txingudi Telebista, Canal Gasteiz and Canal Bizkaia).

However, far from ceasing their activity, the affected Basque stations announce their continuity under the same terms of broadcasts and coverage as under the previous commercial brand. In this way, the only change has come from the chain broadcasts offered during its history by Localia and which now come from Contenalia, a distributor of San Sebastian content for local and regional television stations in the State. Another of the communication groups present in Euskadi is Vocento, which at the time of the distribution of licenses dominated 24% of the local audiovisual field. However, in this case too, the digital stage has caused the group to carry out a reorganization of the sector.

In July 2009, Vocento opted to cease its own broadcasts on two of the five television stations it owned (KTB-KateBerria, in Eibar, and Álava 7 Televisión, in Vitoria-Gasteiz) and the reorganization continues. On May 17, 2010, “La 10” begins broadcasting, a new television network created from the union of the private autonomous communities of Madrid, Andalusia, Murcia, Valencia and La Rioja. As of that same day, the stations in Bilbao (Bilbovisión) and San Sebastián (Teledonostia) begin to operate under the new brand, while the third that makes its own broadcasts (Durango Telebista) is left out. Two months later, on July 30, Vocento ceases the production of the Durango station which, since that day, and as in the case of Álava 7 TV, supports its television activity solely with the broadcasts of “La 10”.

Given this panorama, we find that Vocento, the only state communication group that is currently present on local Basque television, has begun its digital journey in Euskadi, dispensing with the broadcasts of three of its television stations, which become mere repeaters of “La 10”. On the opposite side is Hamaika Telebista Hedatzeko Taldea, beneficiary of a digital channel in each of the fifteen demarcations contemplated in the Basque Autonomous Community. The Basque group has the five stations that are members of the Tokiko Telebista association in the Autonomous Community (Erlo TB, Goierri TB, Goi TB, 28 Kanala and Oizmendi TB), already active before 2007 and together with those that participated in the contest to award digital licenses. Added to these are Hamaika Bilbo Telebista, the first local station owned by the group launched after the resolution of the license contest, and Hamaika Donostia, which, for now, broadcasts the Bilbao station's broadcasts. Tele 7, a private and independent station and beneficiary of a digital multiplex in the Bilbao and Getxo districts, also continues with its television activity, as well as the television stations that until December 2008 operated under the Localia brand and that now do so without being owned by Pretesa (Gipuzkoa TB, Gipuzkoa TB Txingudi, Canal Bizkaia and Canal Gasteiz).