Football fans who have been concerned that they would not be able to watch the World Cup finals on Smash Television next month need not worry, as the television station has considerably strengthened its transmission.

Smash Television director Joe Baldacchino told The Malta Independent on Sunday that the station has doubled its power from its main transmission site at Dwejra, next to Rabat.

He said: “We have also installed a number of repeaters, including one at Tas-Silg in Marsaxlokk, and another one in Zebbug, Gozo. This week we will be installing another repeater in Valletta to cover the Sliema area.

“We will thus be able to cover 95 per cent of the population,” said Mr Baldacchino.

On 17 April, Smash Television announced that it had signed an agreement with Melita Cable to broadcast all 64 World Cup games.

Eight games – the opening game, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, the game for third and fourth place and the final – will be broadcast live, while the broadcast of the others will be delayed.

A month earlier, on 14 March, the Broadcasting Authority had ordered Melita Cable to sub-licence seven of those eight games (the opening game was not included) to a free-to-air broadcast after it ruled that the World Cup finals qualified as an event of major importance to society.

The law stipulates that such events should be available on free-to-air television to a substantial part of the population.

The authority also ruled that until Smash Television had taken the necessary steps to enhance its transmission so that it can be reached by a substantial proportion of the population, Melita Cable would be obliged to make arrangements with another free-to-air station.

That scenario is now irrelevant, as Smash Television will cover the 95 per cent of the population stipulated by its broadcasting licence in time for the kick-off in Munich on 9 June.

However, The Malta Independent on Sunday has learnt that the two political stations – Super One Television and NET Television – will also be showing the final, following intensive pressure on Melita Cable.