The Nordic cable network offers TV channels in English, German, French, Arabic and a host of other languages but Nordic channels are often conspicuous by their absence, especially outside the major conurbations.Children's channel, new legislation and a permanent secretariat A report commissioned to investigate the development of the new digital TV may change that. The report puts forward a number of proposals to give people in the Nordic countries the chance to see Nordic TV. Proposals put forward in the report by Finnish ambassador Ole Norrback include a new joint Nordic children’s channel, changes to national legislation and a permanent secretariat dedicated to promoting Nordic TV channels in neighbouring countries. Joint Nordic film channelThere is also a proposal in the report for a joint Nordic film channel. Negotiations with cable network owners will start straight away to persuade them to include Nordic TV in their packages. To derive the greatest benefit from Nordic TV the authors of the report want negotiations for a complete, flexible and copyrighted model to begin as soon as possible.Read the reportOn Tuesday 20 January the report was handed over to the chairperson of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Icelandic Minister of Co-operation, Siv Friðleifsdóttir, and the Secretary General of Nordic Council of Ministers, Per Unckel. The report is available in Swedish and Finnish only.Summary of the report's proposalsA small permanent secretariat should be appointed to co-ordinate the increasing practicalities surrounding Nordic TV co-operation. Active promotion of programme packages in neighbouring countries. Measures to ensure availability of Nordic, encrypted satellite channels to EU citizens, or closest Northerner, free or at prime cost. Edited Nordic satellite channels becoming part of the ",must carry", system, once the number of channels in the cable network exceeds for example 30, would require legislative changes! Negotiations with cable network owners should start straight away to persuade them to include Nordic TV channels in their packages. Current special arrangements (such as Finnish terrestrial channels) should be maintained even after digital technology is put into service. Nordic children's TV channel.Nordic special channels, such as a Nordic film channel or a channel for Nordic archive records.Nordic viewer surveys to facilitate the co-operation. Unedited Nordic cable channels should be part of the package. The price could be kept down by making separate agreements with all parties. The Nordic Council of Ministers should take the initiative for talks to create a Nordic solution on copyright issues. The Nordic public service companies could reach new viewer groups, with an interest in Nordic culture and Nordic language, by making streaming television channels available in whole or in part. New technology for surveillance and administration of copyrights.Make TV programmes available on the network quickly, starting with the public service companies own productions. TV co-operation should be prioritised for a few years within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers culture budget, with the purpose of taking advantage of the new opportunities that come with digitalisation. Programmes for children and young people should be given special attention.