Public Still Not Convinced By Digital TV, Says Survey

A further blow was struck for those impatient for digital switchover today as research revealed that in some cases you can’t even give digital TV away. CIA MediaLab has just completed a survey into the public’s attitude to multi-channel TV, and discovered that 35% of those surveyed who do not currently watch multi-channel TV would not accept even the free set top box the BBC is rumoured to be planning on offering. Furthermore, among the highest proportion of those who said they would refuse a free digital decoder were ABC1s.

The survey also seems to have revealed a divergence of attitude between those who have embraced the idea of digital technology and those who haven’t, as the idea of free set-top boxes was more popular amongst those who already had multi-channel services. Davide Fletcher, vice chairman of CIA UK commented, “Those who have adopted multi-channel TV see it as a natural part of the future for everyone, whereas some of those without seem to be saying they’re just not interested.”

This research comes just one month after the Consumer Association revealed its own report which also indicated a reluctance of a significant proportion of the population to adopt digital technology (see Consumers’ Association Report Suggests Achieving A Digital UK Will Not Be Easy). The matter is by no means cut and dried however, as yet more research, this time from a Gallup poll for Pace Micro Technology recently suggested that 50% of homes could have digital TV capabilities by 2002 (see 50% Of Homes Could Be Digital By 2002, Says Research).

A further discovery made by CIA was that the reasons for adopting multi-channel TV have moved beyond the issue of sports coverage. 50% of cable and satellite viewers polled said there was enough apart from sport to make them want to subscribe. Having said that, 58% of terrestrial viewers think that sport is the only reason to subscribe to non-terrestrial services.

The issue of quality brought a fairly even split, with 41% of all respondents agreeing that you needed to have multi-channel services to watch decent programmes, while 43% disagreed. Among multi-channel subscribers 57% agreed.

CIA UK: 020 8703 2000 www.ciaworldwide.com

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