HERE IS A UP-DATE ABOUT THE TV...FROM COSTA BLANCA NEWS.
.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Rebroadcasting continues for some Costa residents
By James Parkes and Dave Jones
DESPITE explicit statements from BBC, Sky and ITV, rebroadcasting of some of their channels continues in the northern Costa Blanca.
Following Guardia Civil action taken against Torrevieja-based Telmicro several weeks ago, nearly all rebroadcasting companies switched to free-to-air channels.
Costa Blanca News last week received public statements from BBC and Sky explaining that currently no company in Spain has been authorised to rebroadcast their channels, and that doing so without permission could lead to legal action.
This week, CBNews received a similar statement from a spokesman for ITV plc who said: “We do not have any sort of agreement in place.
“If an operator in Spain wanted to broadcast our channels there they would have to enter into a contractual agreement with us.”
But despite these clear statements, some rebroadcasting companies have waited for the dust to settle and are rebroadcasting BBC, Sky and ITV stations once again.
CBNews contacted several of the rebroadcasting companies to clarify the situation, but nobody was available to comment and despite leaving several messages, no one has returned the calls.
Customers approached by CBN say they had received the same response.
LEGAL REBROADCASTING
The majority of companies currently rebroadcasting channels are licensed to do so, however, each provider must authorise the company to rebroadcast its channels – something, as stated earlier, that BBC, Sky and ITV have not done.
An expert in the field told CBNe ws: “Some rebroadcasting companies on the Costa Blanca do have broadcast rights for some channels, but the problem is, they have also added certain extra channels demanded by customers for which they do not have rebroadcasting rights.”
Sources consulted by CBNews strongly recommend that, when subscribing to one of these services, customers demand to know exactly which channels the company has the right to rebroadcast and be aware of those that could be switched off without warning.
TELMICRO
In the southern Costa Blanca, Telmicro Levante SL have started to broadcast a limited service.
In a press release sent out this week the company blamed their troubles on the ‘range’ of channels they had been showing.
“The reason for this situation was due to the company transmitting certain channels for the benefit of its clients,” the press release states.
The statement continues: “To begin with, it will be a restricted service comprising of channels that the company has been contracted to re-transmit.”
These include MGM, Cinestar and Xtrm film channels, the Sci-fi channel, Calle 13, Fox and National Geographic.
“Telmicro will not make any charges to their customers for one full month after the service has been resumed in their area, the second month will be half price and thereafter the monthly charges will be at a reduced rate,” the statement continues.
A spokesman for the Guardia Civil told CBNews yesterday (Thursday) that the investigation into rebroadcasting company Telmicro Levante SL, which was launched more than three weeks ago, is still ongoing.
The Guardia Civil spokesman said: “If they are broadcasting any channels, then it will be because the judge in Torrevieja has authorised it.”