It deals with Irish Analogue broadcasting systems and the amendment of legislation on Digital Terrestrial Television dating back to 2001.
With the collapse of ITV Digital, IT's TV was unable to get funding to cover its fees and rollout the network as planned.
RTÉ, holding a minority stake in the transmission network of IT's TV, carried out DTTV tests and a Digital Audio Broadcasting pilot between 1998 and 2001 using the Three Rock transmitter on channel 26.
It was intended to have a 2 way channel to allow the viewer's home aerial to send a signal back to the DTTV transmitter, rather than via a telephone line.
The bill was expected to be enacted during 2008 and is part of the priority legislative Programme: 2007-2008 Proposals and will involve a new content regulator taking on the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) and RTÉ Authority role.
The Broadcasting Bill 2006 will cover the dissolution of the RTÉ Authority, BCI, BCC and allow for transition arrangements, exemption from stamp duty, funding of the BAI by broadcasters, and the rules governing state support to RTÉ and TG4 under EC Directive 97/36/EC on state aid following government consultation with the Commission and EU Parliament.
It primarily will deal with State Aid concerns following on from the TV3 complaint to the Commission regarding public broadcaster license fee usage rules.
It outlined that in 1999 the Republic of Ireland decided its approach to introducing DTT with the Broadcasting Act 2001 being enacted.
Government approved and the trial is now up and running in Dublin and Louth using a three-year budget of €10 million, broadcasting on four multiplexes from Three Rock and Clermont Carn mountains.
A Pilot Stakeholders Group exists to inform those involved in it and the department regarding issues that could be similar in a national roll-out.
In its Digital Switchover Plan, the Broadcasting Section of the Department of Communications identified the benefits that Irish citizens can benefit with increased entertainment offerings, additional sources of information and new forms of interaction and a potential means of government and public sector information.
It identifies the Irish Government's role in point 16, but that Ireland is unusual due to its separate geography from mainland Europe and the issues of spectrum usage and satellite transmission.
The Department of Communication also identified that broadband and digital TV contains synergies with data and telephony services.
It also deals with a combination of such programme material in relation to the broadcasting of certain services to Irish communities outside the Island of Ireland.
It also makes provision for the discontinuance of certain broadcasting services transmitted by analogue means, and confers additional functions on the Commission for Communications Regulation, Radio Telífís Éireann, Telifís na Gaeilge (still TG4's legal name) and confers powers subject to license on Teilifís na Gaeilge and amend the Broadcasting Authority Acts 1960 to 2001 and certain other enactments on 10 April 2007.