Hakom - Croatian Post and Electronic Communications Agency

ZAGREB, 20 November, 2015-The celebration of World Television Day was held last Saturday, November 21 while the Social Media Day also known as “the window into the world” has been celebrated since 1996 in accordance with the decision of the United Nations General Assembly. This year's celebration of the World TV Day was focused on young audiences. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT) and the Brussels-based Association of Television and Radio Sales Houses for the third time in a row, joined forces to celebrate this day and recorded the video that was broadcasted the following day on November 21, by televisions from Europe, Asia, Canada, USA and Australia. The video is available through the following link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXaHScNRFFk.
 
A whole range of scientists was involved in the development of television starting from Paul Nipkow who invented the first TV mechanical module that he used in order to send images through the wires, Alan Campbell Swinton and Boris Rosing who created a television system using the cathode ray tube. The Croatia’s television channel began with broadcasting in 1956 when the television pictures coming starting from Vienna via Graz and Slovenia reached Zagreb. After more than five decades of analogue broadcasting, the beginning of the new millennium brought digital transmission. In October 2010, Croatia successfully completed the transition to digital broadcasting TV signals and switched off the analogue television being the 14th country in the world and the first in the region. The digital television has brought high quality signal for the Croatian citizens, a better and more consistent image quality, a wider choice of additional television programmes and new services such as digital teletext, interactive services, electronic programme guides

The digitalization has brought an increase in the signal coverage for television broadcasters. In addition to it the TV broadcasters were given the opportunity to produce additional facilities and programs but it also brought about new competition on the market. Therefore the former analogue commercial broadcasters RTL Television and Nova TV launched new channels RTL 2, the House TV and RTL Kockica, while the public television now broadcasts HRT 3 and HRT4. Moreover, the viewers can currently watch even specialized programs of new broadcasters, CMC and Sports Television. By means of digitalization the local broadcasters were given the possibility to increase the coverage and move onto the regional level, what they have mostly utilized.
 
In the next five or six years a new wave of digitization of television signals is expected, this time on the DVB-T2 standard, enabling  better signal transmission and transmission of some HD channels. In fact, because of the need for the allocation of additional "television" frequencies in the area of 694-790 MHz ("second digital dividend band") for the services of broadband access, the remaining available portion of the spectrum for digital terrestrial television network will be reduced by the end of 2020. The transition to more advanced system of digital terrestrial television DVB-T2 will ensure the competitiveness of terrestrial distribution platforms compared to other television platforms in the future. Furthermore, a high quality of television image and sound will be enabled as well as the introduction of new services. The Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) has been participating in drafting the Strategy for transition to digital terrestrial television system DVB-T2 and the allocation of the frequency band of 700 MHz (second digital dividend, DD2).

ABOUT HAKOM: HAKOM (www.hakom.hr) - Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries – ensures preconditions for a fair market competition, stable growth and environment for innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market. HAKOM protects users’ interests and the possibility of choice among various communications and postal services at affordable prices, defines sustainable competitive conditions for operators and service providers under fair conditions for return on investment, and provides support to economic growth, public services and the quality of life in the Republic of Croatia by using modern technologies. HAKOM’ strategic goals are: to promote regulation of the electronic communications and postal services market, to support growth of investments and innovations in the electronic communications and postal services market, to provide efficient use of limited resources, to accelerate the growth of broadband products and services, to provide affordable offers of communications and postal services, to provide protection and informing of users, to build an efficient and comprehensive information system, to define and implement efficient processes, and to acquire multi-disciplinary competencies in market regulation.