Abstract
This paper wants to shed light on how public policy for DTT is designed and implemented. It is based on my PhD project “Public Policies for Digital Terrestrial Television: the framework defined by the EU and comparative analysis of implementation strategies in Sweden and Spain”.
Together with the UK, Sweden and Spain were the first EU members to deploy DTT services. However, their experiences have not been analysed and internationally discussed as much as the British one. Sweden is an interesting case because of its multiplatform switch-over policy strategy. Moreover, the efficiency of its digital-tv commission, especially regarding public communication, allowed completing the implementation of DTT earlier than scheduled. The Spanish case is quite complicated due to the social relevance of terrestrial broadcasting and its multiple implementation levels (national, regional and local). Furthermore, the collapse of the initial business model was followed by three years of stagnation. The project was relaunched by the public administration in 2005 and it is currently showing good penetration figures. However, whether the migration will be completed by the planned switch-off date is still unclear.
 
Communication public policy studies are the main theoretical framework of this research but other areas of knowledge like media law, media economics or communication technology have been also considered. The methodology combines comparative analysis with in-depth interviews with professionals and public officials. European and national regulation, documents from public institutions and market reports have been examined.