In Brazilian TV, Sao Paulo's TV stations switch off their analog signal on Wednesday night local time. While SBT, Record and RedeTV become pay TV only, which happened days before the analog switchoff in Sao Paulo. The stations use the hashtag #queremoscontinuarcomvc (Queremos continuar com voce; rough translation: we are still here with you).
The analog switchoff is done in stages just like in the UK. The last switchoff before this was in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil.
Maybe Viakenny can shed some light on this. I'm interested in Brazillian TV since last year. Also I'm learning Portuguese.
Actually, SBT, Record TV and RedeTV! remain available OTA, for free, in São Paulo. The point is that these broadcasters want to be compensated for their signal on pay TV providers (as Globo and Band already are, since their OTA stations - and their respective affiliates - are bundled with their pay channels). So, they established a joint venture, called Simba Content, to sell the three networks' content to pay television providers, linear or otherwise (such as Netflix).
However, providers such as América Móvil (the biggest television provider in the country, operating under the NET and Claro brands), Oi and AT&T-owned Sky Brasil (using the brand under license from Sky plc) think Simba Content is charging too much for them to carry their networks and refused to negotiate with the JV, and pulled their networks in São Paulo, as well as Brasília (where the analog switchoff already happened). Only Telefónica (operating in Brazil under the Vivo brand) was willing to negotiate with Simba, and the three networks remain available on Vivo, for now.
Under Brazilian law, pay television providers are mandated to carry broadcast stations for free, but that rule only applies for analog stations. For their digital and/or HD channels, the stations are free to negotiate with the providers, whether by paying them to be carried or by charging them.
As for the hashtag, #queremoscontinuarcomvc, it actually means #wewant2remainwithu (or, in plain English, "We want to remain with you"), promoted by the three networks to make the viewers pressure their TV providers to negotiate with them so they keep carrying the networks.
Nothing changes in the rest of the country for now. The next region to switch off analog terrestrial TV is the Goiânia area, in late May. Brazil's second-biggest city (and former capital), Rio de Janeiro, is expected to do so by late October.
(And a fun fact, Seja Digital - "Be Digital", or "Go Digital", the entity in charge of the transition to
DTT in Brazil, funded by the telecom companies operating here, is located in the very same building as the company I work at.)