Terrestrial broadcasting remains a very popular means of delivering television and the UHF spectrum used for this is essential for the broadcast community. These were two of the main take-aways from day one of the EBU's FORECAST'12 seminar. Also evident was frustration at the lack of acknowledgment of these points by some in regulatory circles who look towards the potential short term economic gains from lucrative spectrum acutions.

Many presenters emphasized the importance of terrestrial broadcasting to the way we watch TV - none more so than Myra Moore - Digital Tech Consulting - who provided statistics on the transition to digital broadcasting around Europe. Ukraine is a case in point, where, as outlined by Artem Zhavrotskyi, they are in the midst of an ambitious transition to DVB-T2 with analogue switch-off to begin in 2013.

The afternoon session was dedicated to the preparations for the next big World Radiocommunication Conference in 2015. Spectrum is often considered a black art, with few understanding its intricacies but it's an essential element in media distribution. Thomas Ewers, who has to prepare the most controversial agenda items as chair of the Joint Task Group, brought welcome clarity in setting out the milestones on the road to WRC-15.  FORECAST'12 also heard from the head of APWPT - Dré Klaassen - that the programmes and events that are carried by broadcast services may not be produced if enough spectrum isn't available for the wireless microphones, monitors, etc.

In his opening remarks, EBU director of Technology & Innovation Lieven Vermaele (pictured left) told the assembled broadcast experts that they have a job to do in the next three years, when the future of broadcasting will be decided. While insisting that technoloy innovation must play a key role, he also focused on the need for globally coorindated lobbying. He suggested that the DigiTAG organization, with a new international remit and focus, can help to bring that global effort about.