Channel 5 Faces Retune Problems

According to weekend press reports, Channel 5 Broadcasting is facing problems with its pilot retune program in Surrey (Newsline 05/06).

Under the terms of its licence, C5B must prove that at least 90% of UK homes can receive an interference-free signal. Interference is caused to some homes from the proximity of the Channel 5 signal to the frequency used by video recorders.

The only way of solving this problem is through engineers individually visiting affected homes and correcting the problem. Before embarking on a nationwide project of this kind 10,000 homes in the Wallington, Surrey area were visited by engineers who would retune any video recorders which interfered with the Channel 5 signal.

Press reports suggest however that the scheme has run into significant problems: the time taken to visit each home, the amount of missed appointments and hence the costs have all proved greater than expected. A spokesman at C5B refused to comment on these reports.

C5B has six months left in which to retune an estimated 10 million videos throughout the UK.