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Sweden completes digital TV transition

Analogue television broadcasts were consigned to Sweden's history books on Monday morning as Skåne became the last region to go digital.

Sweden completes digital TV transition
Photo: Dlib

Minister for Culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth made the trip south to switch off SVT2’s analogue lifeline.

TV4’s CEO Jan Scherman was also in place to shut off his own terrestrial channel.

Last up was SVT1, which was taken off air by director of programming Annie Wegelius.

“This is of course a historic moment as Skåne today becomes the last part of Sweden to make the transition to digital TV broadcasts,” said the culture minister, just minutes before pushing the button that brought the curtain down on the analogue era.

Television screens in the region were set to remain in the dark for part of Monday but Teracom, Sweden’s terrestrial broadcast service company, promised that the new system would be up and running by 4pm at the latest.

The changeover has been completed ahead of schedule after Sweden’s parliament, the Riksdag, decided in 2003 that all terrestrial broadcasts should cease by February 1st 2008. The Baltic island of Gotland was first out in September 2005.