La Séptima TV: premiere date, signings and when it will present all its programming

Before a new national DTT channel can start regular broadcasts in Spain, it must go through a series of regulatory and technical procedures that combine audiovisual policy decisions, radio spectrum authorizations, and verification of technical requirements. These steps affect both the channel holder (audiovisual communication service provider) and, if applicable, the network operator responsible for transporting the signal on the multiplex. Although some details may vary with current regulations, the basic structure of the process is quite stable.

From a regulatory standpoint, the first milestone is obtaining the audiovisual enabling license. For a national DTT channel, the general rule is the award of a license through a public tender called by the General State Administration. This procedure sets the essential service conditions (national scope, coverage obligations, programming commitments, solvency requirements, etc.), and the application must be accompanied by a business plan and a basic technical project. The license is granted for an open or pay audiovisual communication television service and is subject to the general audiovisual law and its regulatory development.

Once the license is awarded, the channel holder must register in the state registry of audiovisual communication service providers, where data about the company, significant ownership, channel brand, territorial scope, and type of service are recorded. This registration is key because it legally binds the channel to obligations regarding content, advertising, child protection, accessibility, and quotas for European and independent works.

In parallel, spectrum planning and the broadcast network come into play. In DTT, the frequency space is organized into multiplexes; it is common that the channel does not directly operate the multiplex but contracts capacity from an already authorized network operator. In that case:

• Network operator: must hold the corresponding enabling license for frequency use and operation of the DTT broadcast network, manage authorizations for transmitting stations, and certify that its network design complies with technical plans and coverage conditions.
• Channel holder: must provide the network operator with the specifications of its service (required bitrate, video and audio format, conditional access requirements if pay, etc.) and ensure that the capacity contract complies with the license conditions.

Regarding institutional coordination, audiovisual market supervision and compliance with service obligations correspond to the independent regulatory authority for competition and the audiovisual sector, while spectrum planning and management correspond to the competent telecommunications ministry department. The new channel must interact with both entities: to notify the start of audiovisual activity on one hand, and to integrate into a DTT network according to the technical plan on the other.

From a technical point of view, before commercial launch it is required to have a transmission center that generates the signal according to DTT standards (for example, DVB-T/DVB-T2 and current video and audio codecs) and meets quality of service specifications. This includes:

• Approved encoding and multiplexing equipment compatible with the broadcast network.
• Correct insertion of service information (SI/PSI), channel name, agreed logical channel number (LCN), and electronic program guide (EPG).
• Implementation of subtitles, audio description, and other accessibility measures at the legally required percentages.

Before regular broadcasting, a testing phase is common, coordinated with the network operator, to verify coverage, power levels, correct reception on domestic receivers, and absence of interference. During this period, the robustness of the production and continuity chain is also checked (redundancies, backup systems, capacity to respond to incidents).

On the content side, the channel holder must have an internal compliance framework: systems to classify programs by age, mechanisms to control advertising, sponsorship, and teleshopping limits, protocols for child protection during protected time slots, and procedures for handling and responding to complaints. Additionally, it must foresee the preservation of recordings of broadcast programming for the minimum legally required period for inspection and control purposes.

In summary, the path to the first regular broadcast combines: awarding and registration of the audiovisual license, integration into a duly authorized DTT multiplex, deployment or contracting of a broadcast network in line with spectrum planning, technical validation through test broadcasts, and implementation of compliance systems for content regulations. Only when all these pieces are aligned can the new channel start regular broadcasts with full legal and technical certainty.

Spanish regulations do not explicitly define the position of “editorial management” of a generalist television channel, but they do regulate in considerable detail the editorial responsibilities of the audiovisual communication service provider. In practice, the editorial or content management is the internal body that assumes these obligations on behalf of the license-holding company.

The basic framework is set by Law 13/2022, General Audiovisual Communication Law, which regulates providers of linear (traditional television) and on-demand audiovisual communication services. The law assumes that the provider is the one who makes the editorial decisions about programming and content (this criterion is even used to determine in which country the provider is “established”: where editorial decisions are made and the service is programmed).

On this basis, the editorial management of a generalist television channel assumes, legally speaking, at least these major blocks of competencies:

• Definition and control of the editorial line. The law requires that news and informative programs be produced respecting the citizens’ right to receive truthful information, with “professional diligence” in fact-checking, and that they respect truthfulness, quality, objectivity, impartiality, and political, social, and cultural pluralism. It also requires a clear distinction between information and opinion. The editorial management is the internal body responsible for ensuring that all programming, especially news, complies with these criteria.
• Respect for fundamental rights and human dignity. Audiovisual communication must respect human dignity and constitutional values and cannot incite hatred, violence, or discrimination based on sex, race, sexual orientation, religion, political opinions, etc. It must respect honor, privacy, and image rights, as well as guarantee the right of rectification and reply according to specific legislation. The selection, editing, and broadcasting of content fall on the editorial structure, which is responsible for ensuring these limits are not violated.
• Protection of minors. The General Audiovisual Communication Law contains a broad set of obligations regarding age classification, content descriptors, and time slots, reinforced by co-regulation agreements promoted by the CNMC to unify classification and warning criteria. The editorial management must organize the schedule, approve or veto content, and apply rating systems that ensure minors are not exposed to harmful content, including on connected TV and associated on-demand services.
• Supervision of advertising and other commercial communications. Generalist television is subject to strict rules on advertising, sponsorship, teleshopping, and product placement. Advertising messages must be correctly identified and prohibitions and limitations respected (for example, regarding medicines, gambling, or advertising aimed at minors), according to the law and analyses by the European Audiovisual Observatory cited in official documents. The editorial management shares with commercial areas the obligation to ensure compliance with these rules on air.
• Promotion and compliance with codes of conduct and self-regulation. The law expressly encourages self-regulation and the adoption of codes of conduct on internal pluralism, gender equality, presence of people with disabilities, non-sexist commercial communications, informational quality, or media literacy. The editorial management is usually the body that promotes these codes, applies them in daily practice, and reports to company management, the audiovisual authority, and, if applicable, news councils.
• Relationship with the regulator and responsibility for sanctions. Violations of the General Audiovisual Communication Law can lead to significant sanctions by the CNMC and competent regional authorities. Although the responsible party is the provider, the editorial decisions that cause non-compliance (for example, failure to identify advertising or broadcasting inappropriate content for minors) originate in editorial management, which must create internal protocols to prevent them.
• Guarantee of editorial independence, especially in public service. In public channels such as RTVE, Law 17/2006 and its implementing regulations emphasize editorial independence and pluralism as part of the public service mission. The Board of Directors approves editorial and commercial conduct guidelines, and the audiovisual authority monitors compliance. The editorial management structure (content, news management, etc.) is responsible for executing this mission and resisting political or economic interference that violates editorial freedom, in line with the European Media Freedom Regulation.

In summary, the regulations do not provide a detailed “job manual” for editorial management, but they do establish a set of legal obligations for the provider that, in practice, are embodied in this body: deciding what is broadcast and how, ensuring respect for fundamental rights, protection of minors, pluralism and informational quality, compliance with advertising rules, observance of codes of conduct, and editorial independence against external pressures.

The implementation of DVB‑T2 in Spanish DTT is not limited to an internal technological change by operators: it is strongly regulated by a new National Technical Plan for DTT (royal decree approved on March 25, 2025) and by audiovisual and spectrum regulations. From this framework derive both legal requirements (licenses, use of public radio spectrum, user information) and very specific technical conditions regarding broadcasts, standards, and equipment.

1. Main applicable regulations

• National Technical Plan for DTT (Royal Decree of March 2025): establishes the legal and technical framework to introduce DVB‑T2 transmission technology at all levels (state, regional, and local) and to generalize UHD (ultra-high definition) broadcasts. The government summarizes in its official note: it sets “the legal and technical framework” for DVB‑T2 and UHD and organizes the redistribution of channels among digital multiplexes to open space for a new state channel. (Ministry note).
• Resolutions of July 3 and 31, 2026 from the State Secretariat for Telecommunications: specify channel redistribution, UHD broadcast start date (November 5, 2026), and the obligation to inform users of changes. (UHD broadcast start and channel redistribution).
• National Frequency Allocation Table (Order ETD/1449/2021, December 16, and subsequent updates): regulates the use of the 470–694 MHz band for DTT, in coordination with European and international regulations.
• Law 13/2022, of July 7, General Audiovisual Communication Law: regulates licenses for audiovisual television communication services, their duration (15 renewable years for the new state DTT license), and editorial, public service, advertising, child protection obligations, etc.

2. Legal requirements for DTT operators

• Audiovisual license: to operate a DTT channel, a state, regional, or local audiovisual communication service license is required, usually granted through a tender and subject to Law 13/2022. For example, the new state channel awarded in 2026 has a 15-year renewable license under this law.
• Concession for use of public radio spectrum: the spectrum (470–694 MHz) is state public domain. The Technical Plan and Frequency Table determine the capacity of each digital multiplex (RGE1, RGE2, MPE1‑5, MAUT) assigned to RTVE, private operators, and autonomous communities. Providers must adhere to assigned capacity and frequency planning without causing interference.
• Respect for offer structure and coverage: the Plan guarantees continuity of all existing licenses and networks. Operators are obliged to maintain service provision in assigned coverage areas, even during technological transition, using the planned multiplexes and respecting public territorial disconnections.
• User information obligations: the July 2026 resolutions require affected companies to inform users from specific dates (October 2026) about frequency changes and the need to retune, so viewers are aware in advance of the DVB‑T2/UHD transition impact.
• Conditions for the second phase: the Technical Plan links global DVB‑T2 and UHD implementation (phase 2) to market objectives: at least 95% of receivers must be DVB‑T2 compatible and at least 90% capable of receiving UHD broadcasts. Complete migration cannot proceed until these thresholds are met.

3. Technical requirements for DVB‑T2 implementation

• Band and multiplexes: DTT operates in the 470–694 MHz band (radio channels 21 to 48), organized into eight digital multiplexes at state and regional levels (RGE1, RGE2, MPE1‑5, MAUT). The Plan maintains this structure but rearranges which channels occupy each multiplex to free capacity for DVB‑T2 and a new state channel.
• Transmission standards: phase 1 requires use of the DVB‑T2 (EN 302 755) standard on the state multiplex RGE2, with simultaneous HD/UHD broadcasts; phase 2 will extend DVB‑T2 to all multiplexes at any level. Transmitters must adapt to this standard, as detailed in the 2024 royal decree draft.
• Definition of HD and UHD (according to the Plan draft, later incorporated into the royal decree):
  • HD: minimum vertical resolution of 720 lines and 16:9 format.
  • UHD: minimum vertical resolution of 2160 active lines and 16:9 format.
  Signals degraded by conversions along the production or broadcast chain are not considered HD.
• Codecs and advanced services: the Plan references H.264/AVC for HD over DVB‑T and H.265/HEVC for UHD over DVB‑T2, plus compatibility with HbbTV 2.0.2 or later on receivers 24” or larger and support for stereo, multichannel, or next-generation audio.
• Receiver equipment and manufacturers: since the Plan’s entry into force, all TVs and receivers sold in Spain must include DVB‑T and DVB‑T2 tuners, and manufacturers must provide “clear and detailed” information about reception capabilities (HD with DVB‑T/H.264; UHD with DVB‑T2/HEVC, HbbTV version, etc.). This condition is key to prevent the transition from being blocked by obsolete equipment.

Overall, the deployment of DVB‑T2 in Spain relies on a Technical Plan that combines legal requirements (licenses, spectrum use, timing, and information obligations) with strict technical specifications on standards, bands, HD/UHD service definitions, and minimum equipment capabilities, coordinated with Law 13/2022 and the National Frequency Table.