Switchover Scheme Comes Under Fire
Manufacturers and consumer groups have criticised a government switchover scheme, which was designed to help elderly and vulnerable viewers make the switch to digital, for being ‘stressful and confusing’.
BSkyB secured a deal to aid the switchover in June, which sees them receive licence fee money to supply low-cost set top boxes for older and disabled people in the first digital switchover region (see Sky Wins Deal To Aid Digital Switchover).
However, critics say the scheme is helping BSkyB market its own pay-TV services, even though Sky has promised not to market its services to the scheme’s customers for at least 13 months after the analogue signal is switched off in their area.
Leen Petre, chair of the government-appointed consumer expert group on digital switchover, said: “The help scheme should not open the floodgates for marketing practices and advertising of additional products or services to older and disabled consumers which can leave them stressed and confused.”
Danny Churchill, joint chairman of the Digital Television Supply Chain Group (SCG), added: “It is inappropriate for the scheme to select as standard such a confusing commercial deal, when it is geared to encourage vulnerable customers to opt out for a potentially confusing or costly installation.”
Industry groups are particularly concerned about customers receiving sky+ free for two months after getting their set-top boxes installed, before needing to decide whether to subscribe or opt out.
Churchill said: “The DSHS must never act as a Trojan horse for pay-TV services to be promoted to vulnerable groups.”
In response to the criticisms, a spokeswoman for the scheme said: “We have made sure that what people get for their £40 is clearly set out in the options pack.”
The latest confusion comes just months after a parliamentary committee report suggested consumers were still buying analogue TV sets because they were confused about the digital switchover (see Consumers Confused About Digital Switchover).
Digital UK: www.digitaluk.co.uk BskyB: 0207 705 3000 www.sky.com