Ivan Richard
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - The minister of Communication, Hélio Costa, proposes that the government eliminate tariffs on imported equipment needed by TV stations to shift from analog to digital transmission. According to the minister, the companies will have to spend a lot on the digitalization process. "The overall investment will be very steep. Each TV station will have to invest not only in the unit that generates the signal, but in all its land-based retransmission facilties."

The characteristics of digital TV are: high-definition images, digital sound, interactive capacity, and the possibility of internet linkup via TV.

The minister participated yesterday (27) in the Senate in a public hearing on the implantation of digital TV.

Translation: David Silberstein