Culture secretary, Chris Smith, has written to all the key players in the digital television industry in a bid to create a climate of clear information for the public. The summit, which is due to take place next month, follows a series of squabbles between the two main digital broadcasters, Sky Digital and ONdigital (see Digital TV Wrangles Continue Over Sky Sports 2).
Smith is keen to ensure that the public is able to access non-partisan information about digital television – information which is not clouded by the vested interests of the different broadcasters involved. A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) said that the key issue at the summit will be that of removing any confusion in the public’s mind about the benefits of digital television as a format. This may or may not involve looking at issues surrounding sports rights or hardware interoperability.
As well as the UK’s major broadcasters, Smith has also invited retailers, manufacturers, consumer groups and industry regulators, including the Independent Television Commission (ITC), to attend the discussion. If Smith fails to unite broadcasters in providing a coherent and positive message about DTV, the government may launch its own promotional campaign offering consumers non-biased information about the services they can receive. This may come in the form of a pamphlet distributed in licence fee reminders, said the DCMS spokesperson.
At the same time, the ITC has been asked by the Government to consult on issues of interoperability between the different platforms’ hardware. In September last year, the ITC ruled that DTV operators and broadcasters must allow for a plug-in module in their set-top boxes and integrated televisions which would allow users to receive a rival’s service through the same hardware (see Digital Broadcasters Allowed To Build Proprietary TV Sets). However, neither Sky nor ONdigital has so far produced any plug-in modules. Now that set-top boxes are free, it is unlikely that either broadcaster will feel compelled to produce such plug-ins, according to an industry source.
The Government is keen to establish a strong take-up rate for digital television services so that the analogue signal can switched off and the extra frequency sold to telecoms companies. The Government has said that analogue transmissions will not be turned off until digital television has a 99.4% broadcast coverage and has been adopted by 95% of the population.
Department of Culture, Media & Sport: 0171 211 6200
