DTT Bidders Must Listen To Consumers, Says Research
Digital terrestrial TV licence bidders need to pay careful attention to consumer expectations and learn from the past, according to new research.
As many as 36% of respondents to a survey by Taylor Nelson Sofres for Pace Micro Technology said that they thought it was the broadcasters’ responsibility to encourage the switch to digital, while only 21% thought the Government should be responsible.
Factors identified as incentives to change included more choice of free-to-air channels, cited by 38% of respondents. 44% said the latest release movies would tempt them, while 36% said it would be big sporting events that would bring them in. The possibility of a free-to-air package with possible Pay TV upgrade was seen as a plus by 36%.
Dario Betti, analyst at Ovum, commented: “Learn from past mistakes: digital terrestrial television needs solid backing, better signal strength, wider coverage, but also more content. Repeating what is available on analogue terrestrial, cable or satellite simply is not enough.”
The good news for the Government’s plans for analogue switch off is that awareness is growing. The survey found that 59% of respondents were aware of the plan to switch off the analogue signal during this decade, compared with 50% in November 2001.
Malcolm Miller, CEO of Pace Micro Technology, which was the largest European supplier of set top boxes during 2000, said: “The outcome of the ITC bids, combined with a stronger digital signal, public awareness and the availability of low-cost digital technology will be critical success factors in ensuring we achieve the Government’s switch-off date of 2006-2010. The cost to Britain of a second digital terrestrial failure would be incalculable and could severely jeopardise the digital switch.”
Pace: 01274 537093 www.pace.co.uk
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