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Analogue Shutdown Date Should Be Announced Within 2 Years Of Digital, Says ITV

Analogue Shutdown Date Should Be Announced Within 2 Years Of Digital, Says ITV

ITV is supporting the announcement of a switch-off date for analogue television in response to the recently published NERA report on the subject. The commercial broadcaster is recommending to the government that a definite switch-off date is set as soon as possible.

ITV says that the switch-off target date should be announced within two years of the start of digital terrestrial television (DTT), due for launch this Autumn. It is also proposing the creation of an industry working group which would monitor the take-up of digital television and make recommendations on the switch-off date.

Not surprisingly, ITV is keen to promote digital terrestrial, rather than digital satellite (run by Sky), as the principal platform. The only real player in the DTT market is ON Digital, a company co-owned by the two largest ITV companies, Carlton and Granada.

“DTT is the preferred digital delivery system because it has important technical, commercial and public interest benefits over other platforms,” says ITV. In criticism of Sky Digital, it says: “DST [digital satellite television] has an unfavourable cost/coverage/access profile.”

ITV is the only terrestrial broadcaster to have refused to let its services be carried on Sky Digital (see ITV Stands Its Ground In Digital TV War). Sky recently claimed that by refusing to join up with DST, ITV was missing out on a £500 million saving on licence fee costs and advertising revenues (see BSkyB Highlights Possible £500m Savings For ITV). Nevertheless, ITV has so far resisted Sky’s lure.

ITV channels and programmes will be available through ON Digital when it launches in Autumn and ITV is also planning the launch of its own digital service, ITV2. ITV2 will be a simulcast of existing (analogue) ITV services and will also include new programming. The broadcaster is spending over £120 million on new programmes.

ITV Network Centre: 0171 843 8000

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