Digital TV On Hold in Chile

Chileans will have to wait an additional 3-months at minimum before their country has the benefits of digital television. The delay is being caused by the government’s failure to decide on which format will be used. The standards in competition for the Chilean market are American, Japanese, and the European Union’s, each differing in digital standards.

“The president has requested more studies, of a technical nature, in order not to err in our decision,” Francisco Vidal, a government spokesperson said on Monday. “The decision on digital television, which the government had committed to defining before December 31, that decision and its definition will be postponed.”

President Bachelet has said the standard chosen will be the one that best fits the country’s needs and allows the best access to viewers of non-paid broadcast television, according to a report from the Reuters News Service.

Chile currently has six broadcast television networks, five private and one government-owned.

“March or the end of March would be a better time to know with certainty what decision the government will make … a decision built on solid technical data,” Vidal said.