UK Public Unprepared To Foot The Digital Bill
92% of the UK population are unwilling to pay for the switch to digital TV and over 30% believe that the Government should foot the bill for the switchover, according to a report published today.
Research conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres shows that over 50% of UK TV viewers do not realise that the digital switchover is a possibility this decade, highlighting the hurdles that the Government needs to overcome if the 2006-2010 deadline is to be met.
According to the study, commissioned by UK set top box manufacturer, Pace Micro, 40% of the population plan to wait until the last minute to switch to digital and 25% of viewers are unwilling to pay anything for digital TV.
Chief executive of Pace Micro, Malcolm Miller, who has been at the forefront of industry initiatives to speed up the switchover (see Manufacturers Push For Digital), called on the Government to review the introduction of subsidised set top boxes and urged it to consider introducing a cheaper TV licence fee as a means of accelerating the digital switchover.
He said: “Switching to digital television is not even on the radar for 30% of the population. If we are going to achieve the digital switch by 2006-2010 we must engage with these individuals and prove to them that digital is both an affordable and compelling proposition.”
He warned the Government that delaying the switchover would threaten the UK’s leadership in the global digital TV market and would have serious consequences for the UK economy as well as the media, broadcasting and advertising industries.
Last month the Government launched its digital action plan to increase the quality, reliability and geographical coverage of digital TV in an attempt to make the switchover possible by the 2006-2010 deadline (see Government Launches Digital TV Action Plan). However, under 40% of UK households currently have digital TV and the analogue signal cannot be switched off until 95% of households have digital access.
Pace Micro: 01274 53200 www.pacemicro.co.uk Taylor Nelson Sofres: 020 8967 0007 www.tnsofres.co.uk
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