Smith Tells Broadcasters To Cooperate In Promoting DTV

Culture secretary Chris Smith has held a meeting with the UK’s digital television operators at which he stressed the need for cooperation in promoting the digital platform as a medium and not just the individual branded services. Smith is still concerned that there is too much consumer confusion about the benefits of digital television and that clearer, unbiased information needs to be disseminated if 95% of the population are to switch to digital TV in the next few years – the target set before the Government will switch off the analogue signal.

The meeting with the broadcasters follows a letter from Chris Smith to each company in which he stressed the need for greater cooperation (see Chris Smith Calls For Clear Information On Digital TV). Smith also told the Digital Television Group’s Conference in London yesterday that there is still a lot of public confusion over the choice of equipment available and the services that can be received on it.

“At the meeting [with DTV operators] we agreed that digital is the technology of the future,” said Smith. “Now we need to address the need for better and clearer consumer information. It is the industry’s job to make this happen. It is my job to make sure it happens in the consumer’s interests,” he told the Group.

“Our first task will be to identify where consumer confusion and anxiety lies. We must come up with simple, clear messages which explain what digital TV means for customers. We need to get these messages right and get them home to the public while presenting them with all the options open to them. It will be important for Government and industry to work together to think about the best way of doing this,” added Smith.

One possible way of promoting DTV, mooted by a DCMS source, could be a Government-funded generic digital television advertising campaign which would be free of platform bias.

Separately, Chris Smith has also written to the Independent Television Commission (ITC) voicing concerns that the watchdog’s review of the new ITV evening schedule is robust and rigorous (see Smith Urges ITC To Perform Rigorous Review Of New ITV Schedule).

Department For Culture, Media and Sport: 0171 211 6100