NTRC-Uzbekistan launches HDTV channel

Tuesday 29 Nov 2011
Uzbekistan is the first among the Commonwealth of Independent States to launch a terrestrial HDTV channel.

The new channel, Uz.HD, began airing today in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.

Fayzulla Yunusov, First Deputy Chairperson of the National Television and Radio Company (NTRC) of Uzbekistan, said the company had reconstructed its transmit-receive network and that its media centre has been equipped with modern digital equipment to produce high quality TV programmes.

Shomansur Abidkhodjaev, Director-General of the Centre for Radio Communication, Broadcasting and Television, said that Uz.HD can currently be viewed in Tashkent city and its nearby regions. He said the network will eventually cover all of Uzbekistan, adding that about US$1 million has been allocated to achieve this.

Currently, 36.7 percent of the Uzbek population can access the digital television broadcast. Of the 12 television channels in digital format, seven are Uzbek channels.

Mr Abidkhodjaev said that digital TV coverage is planned to reach all major Uzbek cities 2015, and the rest of the country by 2018.