Government Minister Insists Digital Deadline Will Be Met
E-Commerce Minister, Stephen Timms, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to digital TV and has insisted that the recent success of Freeview will allow the analogue signal to be switched off by the current 2010 deadline.
Speaking at the Westminster Media Forum earlier today, Timms acknowledged the fact that just 41% of UK households currently receive digital TV, but expressed his confidence that this figure would rise to 95% by 2010, allowing the analogue signal to be switched off completely.
He dismissed criticism that the current deadline is over-ambitious, saying: “We are still on track for the digital switchover and I believe it will be completed by the timescale indicated. By 2010 Britain will be a digital only country.”
Timms went on to praise the “tremendous success” of Freeview, which has attracted more than 1.4 million customers since its launch last October (see
The Minister’s comments were met with calls for substantial Government funding to help transmission companies set up the infrastructure necessary for the digital switch to take place.
Berwyn Roberts, director of sales at Freeview’s transmission company, Crown Castle, said: “Without strong Government backing the digital switch will happen many years later than the current deadline.”
However, David Dorans, director of new media at UKTV said that reducing the cost of set top receivers, removing subscription fees and producing compelling content would be the most important factors in driving the take up of digital TV.
Timms refused to comment on any specific plans to aid the digital switch over, but insisted that the Government would work hard to improve the awareness of the medium. He said: “By Christmas we want everyone to be thinking digital.”
The latest Cable Statistics Report from the ITC predicts that the majority of British households will have access to more than the five terrestrial services by the end of this year (see ITC Cable Statistics Q4 2002).
DTI: 020 7215 5000 www.dti.gov.uk
Recent Related Stories from NewsLine Currie Pledges Support For Co-Regulation Of Industry Competition Commission May Ban ITV Share Deals BSkyB Adds 150,000 New Subscribers In Q3
Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left