‘We have prospective broadcasters who ask for a new channel in Yekaterinburg calling Sverdlovsk Region broadcasting service all the time,’ Deputy Managing Director of RTRS Federal State Unitary Enterprise (local subsidiary of a federal broadcasting company) Tamara Ermakova said at the press conference. ‘Yet we have already used up the whole potential of the city’s frequency spectrum, and Moscow refuses to even consider applications made from Yekaterinburg as the introduction of a new channel does not appear feasible,’ Ms Ermakova went on.

‘Should we go digital, the channel capacity will boost dramatically since it will become possible to use a single frequency channel for as many as six television ones simultaneously, which means that Yekaterinburg can nevertheless improve and develop its broadcasting service,’ Ms Ermakova said.