Europa 7 HD

Europa 7 HD is an Italian group of television channels aired since October 11, 2010.^[1] It is one of the first broadcasters worldwide to use DVB-T2 technology, after United Kingdom's channels BBC HD, ITV HD and Channel 4 HD.

Legal battle

Main article: Europa 7

In Spring 2010 following a ten year legal battle, Europa 7 was assigned a national terrestrial TV frequency (or multiplex), able to cover 95% of Italy's population and 80% of the territory.

Start of broadcasts, coverage and technology

Europa 7 HD began testing broadcasts in July 2010^[2] and made its regular broadcasting debut on 11 October 2010, with the purpose of covering 80% of the population by the end of 2010.^[1] Europa 7 HD had transmitted all of its eleven channels in DVB-T2, announced as "the first broadcaster in the world to broadcast with this new technology."^[1]

E7HD has twelve channels with alternating schedules (eight HD and four SD).

Editorial line

Francesco Di Stefano, the owner of Europa 7, said that the project aims to make of Fly channel a politically independent channel based on freedom of information, hosting the journalists and comedians controversially censored by the other broadcasters.^[3][4]

Channels

For strategic reasons,^[5][6] it changed its original 1998 plan of using its multiplex to broadcast a single analogic channel, into broadcasting twelve digital channels. Of these twelve, one called Fly channel pursues the original project^[3] of a free aired channel; the other for-pay eleven channels serve the purpose of assuring proper funding for the Fly channel.

Having a full multiplex for itself, Europa 7 HD hosts twelve alternating channels, all of them broadcast in DVB-T2. They are:^[1]

• Fly channel, a free of charge generalist Standard Definition channel, with news, satire and culture
• Five HD thematic channels based on paid subscription: Sentimental, Horror, Classic, Action and Family. These will offer movies, documentaries, concerts and international events
• Three pay-per-view HD channels offering movies most recently released on theatres.
• Three adult content channels, based on paid subscription and in Standard Definition. They air with Parental control and from 23:30 till 6:00 in the morning.