BBC Issues Digital Warning To Government

The BBC has asked the Government to ensure that television viewers are not the losers in a hardware war as broadcasters take advantage of digital technology.

In response to the Government’s consultation paper on Digital Terrestrial Television, the BBC is asking the Government to ensure digital television set-top decoder boxes are capable of receiving all digitally transmitted national television transmissions, both terrestrial and satellite.

BBC Director General John Birt said, “Viewers will lose out if the Government doesn’t take action to prevent “hardware wars” between digital television and digital satellite TV delivery systems. We believe it is essential that viewers should be able to buy a single decoding box to receive all national digital services, however transmitted, or plug an extra box into existing equipment at low cost and access extra services.”

The BBC has recommended that the Government adopts a regime for the licensing of set-top box technology; this should ensure that all digital operators declare in advance which system they will use and should guarantee that the industrial property rights for the manufacture of a decoding box and the broadcast of encrypted television signals are offered under licence to all manufacturers and broadcasters.

The proposal “removes barriers, and if one particular system is successful, ensures that broadcasters and other operators cannot be prevented from adopting that system” said John Birt.

The BBC has recommended that OFTEL could enforce the proposal, and the ITC will need the power to adopt the technical licensing requirements.