UK Analog Switch-Off For Digital TV By 2012: Confirmed

[Fiona]

In her speech to the Royal Television Society in Cambridge this evening, Rt. Hon. Tessa Jowell confirmed digital switchover and outlined the timetable for switching by region.

Digital switchover will happen between 2008 and 2012 by ITV region in the following order:

2008 - Border
2009 - West Country, HTV Wales, Granada
2010 - HTV West, Grampian, Scottish Television
2011 - Yorkshire, Anglia, Central
2012 - Meridian, Carlton/LWT (London), Tyne Tees, Ulster

This regional order has been determined by a technical criteria determined by the broadcasters and Ofcom. The regional order will follow ITV regions. This ensures that the impact on ITV regional advertising markets is minimised.

Jowell also reiterated the Government's pledge that digital switchover will be platform neutral. As reported earlier on OW, SwitchCo, which will be renamed 'DigitalUK' will launch tomorrow, and will oversee the switchover process, marketing and neutrality.

Jowell also outlined a programme to help vulnerable consumers. Households with one person over 75 and those with one person receiving disability allowances will be eligible for help and subsidy. The assistance scheme will be funded by the BBC through the licence fee (which is therefore obviously secure despite not Bill yet being in place).

It remains to be seen whether the BBC will be limited in how it promotes technologies in which it has a vested interest like DTT (Freeview) to these households.

Comment - It is interesting that London will be switched in 2012. Same year as we host the Olympics.

It is also worth noting the name change of SwitchCo to DigitalUK. This suggests a role beyond digital television, with the organisation being ambitious in its aims and looking to embed the most sophisicated digital technologies at the core of the home. Only by taking this approach will switchover be genuinely enabling for citizens, narrowing rather than extending the digital divide.

Tessa Jowell

Digital-Lifestyles.info

[Geoff]

Tessa Jowell has as much idea over digital TV as I do over bull politics. If analogue TV is disbanded in 2012 there will be bl**dy killing.

Technology is advancing at such a rapid rate, but our UK politicians are determined to remain in the stone ages, and under the sand!!

[overrising]

There is no chance this will happen in any timeframe proposed. We have had so many 'Switch-Off' dates that the whole thing has become a bit of a laughing stock.

[chesapeake]

It's a good thing we're doing and I agree the whole country should go digital, but I've got no confidence whatsoever in anyone to do with Government (this one or the next) being able to handle the switchover without a huge amount of mess, upsets and mass frustration!