Programme making and special events applications (PMSE)
This page provides information on the use of spectrum for PMSE across the CEPT countries, including the regulatory and technical conditions. It also summarises the various spectrum management activities related to PMSE.
Terrestrial audio and video links are used for a number of Programme Making and Special Events applications (PMSE). The range of applications covered by PMSE spans from theatrical productions and corporate events to various levels of broadcasting contribution activities. PMSE includes services ancillary to programme making (SAP) and broadcasting (SAB) and the links of the narrower category known as Electronic News Gathering and Outside Broadcasting (ENG/OB).
In recent years, available spectrum for this application has been reduced since some parts of the spectrum currently used by these applications have been targeted for other usages as a consequence of the digital dividend, and of the increase of bands designated for mobile broadband.
As part of its
2020-2025 strategic plan, the ECC intends to identify the necessary spectrum for PMSE, taking into account the recent evolutions in their spectrum, the possibility to use also higher frequencies and to implement digital technology and cognitive sharing solutions, as well as the need to maintain existing production quality.
This page contains information on:
1 Designated contacts and regulatory processes in CEPT administrations with respect to PMSE
A list of contacts points in CEPT administrations concerning PMSE related activities is available here. This should provide assistance to PMSE industry and users in getting access to the relevant information on the conditions of the use of spectrum for PMSE across the CEPT countries.
The list also contains, when available, information or link to national application process for PMSE
CEPT administrations wishing to provide new information or to update the current information are invited to do so by contacting the ECO ([email protected]).
2 Frequency ranges available for PMSE in CEPT countries
The ERC Recommendation 25-10 provides a list of tuning ranges that CEPT administrations may consider for audio and video PMSE applications. The Project Team FM51 is working on update of Recommendation 25-10 (Work item WI51_12) to include recent technological advances in frequency usage for PMSE.
The term “tuning range” for PMSE means a range of frequencies over which radio equipment is envisaged to be capable of operating; within this tuning range, the use in any one country of radio equipment will be limited to the range of frequencies identified nationally (if any) within that country for PMSE, and will be operated in accordance with the related national regulatory conditions and requirements. Within each tuning range, CEPT countries assign specific sub-bands or particular frequencies for PMSE links subject to availability, actual demand and sharing arrangements with primary services using those bands. Ideally, PMSE equipment should be capable of being operated within the whole tuning range and even beyond in order to provide flexibility for operation in different countries.
The Recommendation is integrated within the ECO Frequency Information system (EFIS) in order to better reflect the national conditions for PMSE applications in CEPT countries for the frequency ranges included in the Recommendation.
Through this link, the following information is made available:
- Frequency ranges recommended within CEPT for use by audio and video PMSE applications;
- Availability of these frequency ranges within the 48 CEPT countries and associated national conditions.
3 PMSE spectrum use and future requirements
Spectrum use and future requirements for PMSE are considered in following ECC Reports:
- ECC Report 323 (published 02/21) on Spectrum use and future spectrum requirements for PMSE. This Report examines some of the principal changes and trends affecting PMSE's use of radio spectrum. It is intended to provide a resource to administrations to ensure that spectrum decisions are made with appropriate considerations of the needs of the creative industries.
- ECC Report 204, (published 02/14), considers the spectrum use and future requirements for PMSE. The main body of the Report attempts to provide information which relates to the whole PMSE sector and exceptional events. Three Annexes address different sectors of the industry, namely audio PMSE, video PMSE and Service Links.
4 Other ECC Deliverables and activities relevant to PMSE
Following the EC mandates to CEPT on PMSE several CEPT Reports and ECC Reports containing compatibility studes were approved:
- EC mandate to CEPT on PMSE (12/11) two CEPT Reports were developed complemented with an ECC Report on compatibility studies:
- CEPT Report 50 and its addendum on Technical conditions for the use of the bands 821-832 MHz and 1785-1805 MHz for wireless radio microphones in the EU.
- CEPT Report 51 on Technical conditions for ensuring the sustainable operation of cordless video-cameras in the EU.
- ECC Report 191 Adjacent band compatibility between the mobile networks and PMSE (wireless microphones) in the 1800 MHz range.
- EC mandate to CEPT on PMSE (07/15) to study and identify harmonised compatibility and sharing conditions for Video PMSE in the 2.7 – 2.9 GHz frequency band
- CEPT Report 61 addressing harmonised compatibility and sharing conditions for video PMSE in the 2.7-2.9 GHz frequency band, taking into account radar use.
- ECC Report 243 on Wireless video links in the frequency bands 2700-2900 MHz and 2900-3400 MHz compatibility studies.
Other deliverables related to PMSE are available on the ECO documentation database.
- ECC Report 219 contains characteristics of PMSE digital video links to be used in compatibility and sharing studies.
- There are many ECC Reports on sharing and compatibility studies between some PMSE applications and other radio applications. The most recent ones, deal with:
- compatibility/sharing studies related to PMSE, DECT and SRD with DA2GC in the 2 GHz unpaired bands and MFCN in the adjacent 2 GHz paired band ECC Report 220
- adjacent band compatibility between MFCN and PMSE audio applications in the 700 MHz frequency band ECC Report 221
- the possible use of audio PMSE in the frequency range 1350-1400 MHz in ECC Report 245;
- the possible use of audio PMSE in the frequency ranges 1492-1518 /1518-1525 MHz in ECC Report 253;
- best practices for video PMSE in the frequency range 2700-2900 MHz in ECC Report 285;
- body effect of hand-held and body-worn audio PMSE equipment in ECC Report 286;
- CEPT investigations on possible usage of low power audio PMSE in the band 960-1164 MHz ECC Report 306;
- co-existence between Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) in the frequency range 1900-1920 MHz and other applications in adjacent bands ECC Report 314
5 Information on national conditions and regulatory procedures used by administrations in granting access to spectrum for PMSE
Information on frequency ranges for use by audio and video PMSE applications including national conditions for PMSE use can be found in Recommendation 25-10 module in EFIS. The use of PMSE equipment may not be fully harmonised across the CEPT countries due to divergent national frequency plans and differing PMSE requirements. Within each tuning range, CEPT countries may assign specific sub-bands or particular frequencies for PMSE links subject to availability, actual demand and sharing arrangements with primary services using those bands.
A summary of the responses to WGFM questionnaire to CEPT administrations in order to collate, summarise and analyse the regulatory procedures used by administrations in granting access to spectrum for PMSE is available here. The 34 CEPT administrations responses are available here. This provides appropriate information on the availability and conditions for the use of many frequency bands for PMSE.
Further questionnaire to CEPT administrations has been released (10/16) in order to collect national conditions for PMSE applications for publication in the Annexes 4 and 5 of ERC Recommendation 25-10. The summary of the responses to the questionnaire are available here and the set of replies is available here. This has been used as reference point to populate national information into the Recommendation 25-10 module in EFIS. A summary of the answers provided concerning the availability of spectrum for PMSE audio applications and licensing considerations is available here.
CEPT administrations wishing to provide new information or to update the current information are invited to do so by updating national implementation in EFIS or by contacting the ECO ([email protected]).
6 Additional information on PMSE
During the last years, the ECC has published within its newsletters various articles related to PMSE:
Updated: 06 November 2023, 15:58
