Smash demands frequency for digital transmissions

Smash Communications Ltd, which runs Smash TV, yesterday filed a suit in the First Hall of the Civil Court against the Malta Communications Authority claiming the authority had "unreasonably" refused to grant a frequency on which it could start digital transmissions.

The suit, signed by lawyers José Herrera and Jason Azzopardi on behalf of Andrew Farrugia of Smash Communications, said the company was licensed by the Broadcasting Authority and had been assigned channel 44 under the analogue frequencies regime.

Since technology for transmitting television was changing from analogue to digital and Malta had set 2010 as the analogue switch-off date, Smash TV would not be able to broadcast after that date. The broadcasting station said the MCA had another three frequencies which it could allocate to existing TV stations but had chosen instead to allocate frequencies to "service providers" Maltacom and Multiplus.

Smash TV had been among the first local stations to buy the apparatus needed to transmit digitally. In fact, it had already started digital transmissions but was successively stopped by the authority pending the allocation of frequencies. Mr Farrugia said he had repeatedly notified the MCA about his request for a digital frequency, warning the authority in a letter that legal action would follow if a frequency were not awarded by July 29.

Smash Communications said the MCA's refusal was unreasonable and asked the court to order the authority review its decision.