MHP drops licence fees for FTA channels

Licence fees have been dropped for free to air broadcasters using the Multimedia Home Platform interactive television middleware.

Via Licensing decided to scrap the charge to encourage uptake of the open standard, which was developed by the DVB Project but has failed to take off. The BBC, Freeview and Freesat have all employed developments of the proprietary MHEG-5 technology instead.

Via, which handles the patents to DVB-MHP, had planned to charge FTA broadcasters $100,000 (£50,000) a year starting next year.

Device manufacturers and pay TV broadcasters will still have to pay to use the technology.