INTERVIEW WITH ARTURO MIGNON, TELEVISA DIRECTOR OF TRANSMISION Tell us about the digitalization project This very-far reaching project for Televisa is intended to switch-off from analogue to digital TV, and we have been working on it since 2004. At that time, we were directly regulated by the Secretariat of Telecommunications that developed a three-year project covering 6 periods. The first of them was 2004-2006 and the end of it all was planned for 2021, but this was the original line, which was then changed. We started to work in the gradual switchover to digital TV in the different areas of the country. Obviously it was done based on population, thus, big cities were to be adapted first and so was the border area, due to commitment to the USA. Later on, switchover would extend to the centre of the country, and then to the south-east. We were working on that basis when last year it was decided that switchover had to be completed by August of this year, instead of 2021. Ever since, we've had to work very hard because the forth, firth and sixth period were reduced to one. Despite that, we have made it. We've faced problems with the complementary stations because we have a large territory, with many mountains, and we have to work with a complex terrain. Plus, there are many complementary stations. In fact, they are more numerous than our concessions. They wanted them all to be ready by August, but it was impossible. Even so, be managed to have a lot of them ready with great effort of the technical area. The final shutdown is scheduled to take place at the end of this year, so we are still working to make sure that we have everything ready by then. We have faced partial shutdowns throughout this period, but they have not been based on the original project, which was designed for broadcasting in cities to include analogue and digital signals during a 5 year period. Since 2005 Mexico has had both digital and analogue broadcasts, but this will end as from December when the final shutdown is to take place. Even though forecast has changed, we have easily adapted. We are working extremely hard to have the complementary stations ready as soon as possible.
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