More Than 70% Of UK Adults Still In The Dark Over Switchover
Tens of millions of British people are still unaware of when their region will turn off its analogue television signal and switchover to digital, according to a report.
An estimated 33 million people in the UK, 73% of the adult population, are still in the dark on this matter, according to research conducted in May and June by YouGov for uSwitch.com.
However, this number was a smaller figure than the estimated 38 million, 83% of the UK adult population, who did not know when their region’s analogue TV signal was being switched off at the start of the year.
The May and June survey found that the most aware region was Border, covering Cumbria and the Scottish borders, with 63% knowing when their switch takes place.
Border will be the first region to lose its analogue signal to digital, starting with the west Cumbrian town of Whitehaven on October 17 this year (see Whitehaven Gets Ready For Digital Switchover).
The Scottish TV region, which includes Glasgow and Edinburgh, is the second most aware, with one-third of adults correctly stating that their area would switch in 2010 and 2011.
Yorkshire and Central – covering the Midlands – were the TV regions least aware of switchover, with just 7% of adults able to name the date.
Awareness actually appears to be falling in three TV regions: Central, HTV – which covers Wales and the west of England – and Grampian in north Scotland.
When the Grampian region was surveyed in January, 40% knew when they would be switched over, but now only 24% are aware.
YouGov’s May/June survey found that more than 27 million believe that the officials have not done enough to keep people informed about digital switchover despite government-funded awareness campaigns.
Only one in five are aware of all the ways they can receive a digital TV signal, while an estimated 12 million people wrongly believe that they may need to buy a new TV set for switchover.
“It is worrying to see that consumers are still baffled as to when it will happen and how they should prepare for it,” said the uSwitch.com head of communication services, Steve Weller.
“It’s also disappointing that despite campaigns to educate the nation about the switchover, led by Digital UK, over half the population do not feel that enough is being done to keep them informed.”
uSwitch has previously warned on this issue, and last month said digital switchover will leave consumers facing a £2.2 billion bill for the cost of replacing analogue TV sets and VCRs, as well as the £40 instalment fee for the non-vulnerable or elderly (see Consumers Face £2.2 Billion Bill To Replace Analogue Equipment).
Meanwhile, Ofcom’s Advisory Committee on Older and Disabled People and Digital UK recently published research highlighting the potential impact of digital switchover on disabled, older, isolated and low income consumers.
The research highlights the need for a targeted communications campaign to educate informal, formal, and voluntary support networks (such as family members, social service departments and voluntary agencies) about the importance of reaching those most in need of help with switchover (see Ofcom Research Highlights Vulnerable In Countdown To Switchover).
uSwitch: www.uswitch.com