Algeria: Opening Of Candidacies’ File For Launching Of Seven Thematic TV Channels

The Government has officially opened through the Ministry of Communication the door to open thematic TV channels, and by granting licenses to only 7 channels dealing with manifold topical news and events related to political, economic, culture, youth, cooking art, discoveries, serials, entertainment and sports.

According to article 56 of the Official Gazette, candidates for legal status who fulfill the conditions stipulated in the Audiovisual Act of 2014, including institutions, bodies of the public sector and companies subject to Algerian law, may apply for this announcement bid.

The audiovisual control authority shall receive a list of the constituent documents of the declaration of candidacy, accompanied by a copy of the general book’s conditions for the opening of thematic television channels.

The files shall be deposited in two copies with the audiovisual control authority within 60 days after the first advertisement for candidacy has been aired in the national media. The term may be extended once and exceptionally for 30 days by the audiovisual control authority.

Five of these channels will be launched in the digital satellite to be broadcast on the satellite 7 WA in the orbital position 7.3 degrees west, covering the Middle East and North Africa.

Two digital broadcasting licenses for two channels on the WA-5 satellite are also to be granted on the orbital position of 5.0 degrees west, covering the Maghreb and focusing on Algeria.

A relevant decision signed by the Minister of Communication, Mr. Djamel Kaouane, was just published in the official gazette. The broadcasts of these future TV channels will be both in Arabic and Tamazight languages, but foreign languages can be used in programs meant for broadcasting abroad.

In the technical specifications of these projected TV  channels, the Ministry of Communication’s text states that the broadcast is open without any encoding, and the video format is based on the standard definition quality of SD with a picture resolution of 720 * 576 and a display rate of 3: 4 or 9: 16.

The technical specifications for broadcasting during the duration of the granted license may be altered by being subject to the announcement of nomination in accordance with the technological standards generally applied in the audiovisual field.

These TV  channels must make available to the public institution responsible for radio and television broadcasting a video signal that constitutes the final signal to be broadcast according to SMPTE 259M-C standard SD-SDI transmission system with the integration of SMPTE 272 M (SDI embeded).

The vying candidates must identify the technical solutions they intend to adopt by conveying the relevant reference to the public institution network responsible for radio and television broadcasting.