On the night of December 31, 2010, a little more than a year from now, Malta will switch off all its analogue TV signals. Local TV stations will only be accessible through digital set-top boxes or TV sets with built-in digital signal capturing capabilities.

This important milestone in the history of the Maltese mass media will be discussed at the annual conference of the Malta Communications Authority that will be held on October 30.

Daniel Pataki, the chairman of the Radio Spectrum Policy Group, will deliver the keynote address. Speakers from high-profile foreign organisations, such as Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, as well as local experts, will also share their views and experience.

The MCA thinks that ensuring that this switchover change brings benefits to all stakeholders would appear to be an easy matter as digital TV offers more efficiency and better quality. These characteristics translate into more capacity for broadcasters to offer more and better services, and a better choice for viewers. Digital TV also presents new opportunities such as High Definition and interactivity. A whole new industry, from production to consumption equipment and services, is emerging as a result of this migration.

However, inevitably, migration raises several issues. These must be successfully addressed if the migration is to be successfully managed, and the resultant benefits enjoyed by all, the MCA said.

The aim of the annual conference is to provide answers to questions that this new order of things poses. The very future of terrestrial broadcasting, the digital dividend, opportunities for content producers, the emerging technologies, and the impact of the bombardment of technology and audiovisual media on the consumer will be among the issues raised.

The deadline for registration is Monday. More information is available on the MCA's website.

www.mca.org.mt