Digital Deadline May Be Threatened

The Government has reportedly shelved plans to pay for millions of people to switch to digital TV fuelling speculation that the current 2006-2010 deadline for the digital switchover will not be met.

A report in today’s Financial Times claims that a scheme enabling millions of UK households to go digital was abandoned by the Government last summer, after the worsening economic climate left the Treasury unwilling to invest the funds.

According to the paper the Government has admitted there is “no chance of meeting the 2006 deadline, while even the 2010 is looking optimistic.” A spokeswomen for the Department of Culture Media and Sport today denied any such plans had been abandoned, saying: “Any decision allowing public money to be spent on the digital switchover will be made in the next spending review, which is due to start shortly.”

Commenting on speculation that the Government has abandoned its 2006-2010 deadline, she said: “Our target window is still very much in place, but clearly switchover will not take place unless the conditions laid down in the White Paper are met.”

The Government, which has been criticised for showing a lack of initiative in driving the digital switchover (see Prebble Demands Government Commitment To Digital), stepped up its plans to make the analogue switch-off a reality with the launch of its Digital Action Plan last month.

The Digital Action Plan (see Government Launches Digital TV Action Plan), which has been welcomed by the broadcasting industry as a step in the right direction (see ITV Welcomes Digital Action Plan), aims to help to increase the quality, reliability and geographical coverage of digital TV to ensure that switchover will be possible by the deadline.

DCMS: 020 7211 6200 www.culture.gov.uk

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