ONdigital Denies Giveaway Phase Out Claims

ONdigital have strongly denied claims that they will phase out the giveaway of set top boxes to digital viewers.

Press reports today claimed that the giveaway of set top boxes, needed by viewers to receive digital programmes, would be phased out, as ONdigital owners, Carlton and Granada, try to recover money from their investment in the troubled pay per view platform.

A spokesman for ONdigital described the claims as “inaccurate” and added: “We are not even considering phasing out the giveaway of free set top boxes.”

The future of ONdigital has been in doubt lately following a leaked letter from Granada chairman, Charles Allen, to the Prime Minister (see Granada Warns Of ITV Disaster) in which Allen implied that the platform could face closure if reforms to the media ownership laws were delayed.

ONdigital is due to rebrand to ITV Digital later in the year as part of ITV’s plans to create an integrated pay-TV platform (see ITV Rebrands As ITV1).

ONdigital: 020 7819 8000 www.ondigital.co.uk

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