According to the Macau Daily Times, The Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation (DSRT) confirmed that most of the public antenna companies have agreed to the authorities’ proposed solution to settle the long-running TV signal dispute between public antenna companies and Cable TV. DSRT said they had received a letter of intent jointly signed by “most of” the antenna companies, who agreed to use their networks to relay the TV signals provided by Cable TV. 

DSRT says the public antenna companies also proposed detailed arrangements for the deal, which aims to ensure the public can continue to watch TV, even after the public antenna companies follow the court’s ruling and stop their illegal relaying of TV signals. These signals will subsequently be replaced by signals legally provided by Cable TV, according to the Macau Daily Times. 

Further issues, including the number of channels available to the public, have yet to be tackled. DSRT said they would analyse the proposals made by the public antenna companies and facilitate a final agreement between the companies and Cable TV as soon as possible. 

The report added that the authorities said the letter of intent covered “most” public antenna companies. DSRT urged the companies that have not agreed to use Cable TV’s signals to contact DSRT or Cable TV. These companies’ users may subsequently switch to companies that have agreed to use the signals, in order to avoid a signal blackout. 

Leong Ka Kei is the representative of six antenna companies that formerly opposed DSRT’s preliminary agreement out of concerns over the legality of relaying Cable TV’s signals. According to TDM, he said yesterday that “all” public antenna companies had already submitted their letters of intent to DSRT. They will join the deal proposed by the government. Leong told the broadcaster that the companies changed their position in order to avoid any blackout of TV signals, according to the report.