TV switchover - Don't lose the remote, Moore tells government (West Suffolk Liberal Democrats)

West Suffolk Liberal Democrats <elleminshall@aol.com>

TV switchover - Don't lose the remote, Moore tells government

October 14, 2008 3:11 PM
Originally published by UK Liberal Democrats

Remote rural areas are in danger of being left behind in the move to a new TV age, Michael Moore warned in a parliamentary debate on the 'digital switchover'

In November Mike's constituency in the Scottish borders will become part of the second area of Britain (after Whitehaven in Cumbria) to have the traditional analogue television signal switched off, so everyone will have to access TV digitally. The plan is for all parts of the UK to be 'switched over' by the end of 2012.

Mike welcomed the move to digital for the increased choice it is creating. But he attacked the "two-tier service" being created - what Digital UK had called "Freeview Lite". He highlighted research showing that across his local Border Television region as little as 55 per cent. of the population would receive the full Freeview service.

Mike suggested that the licensing of digital TV should follow the same principles as that of licenses for mobile phone networks, where the licence requirements demanded that huge parts of the United Kingdom were covered.

Ceredigion MP Mark Williams said that his constituency was also one of the 'geographically challenging' areas where there might be no picture at all after the digital switchover. It is estimated that 1.5 per cent of the population who will not get any kind of Freeview picture - about the same percentage of the population that does not get an analogue picture at the moment.

The party's Shadow Culture Secretary Don Foster also spoke in the debate. He began by congratulating Mike on obtaining the debate and paying tribute to his work on behalf of his constituents on this issue.

Don also raised a number of concerns, but said that, in general, the picture was encouraging: "Digital is an exciting development within television and that it is providing more choice and more services.

Among Don's concerns was the 'tangled web of accountability' around the targeted help scheme, designed to help vulnerable groups with the switchover. He urged that particular attention be paid to ensuring that Sky, who have the contract for the scheme, are not able to use the large amount of data they gain access to for other marketing purposes.

Don concluded by expressing his disappointment that the set-top boxes being provided under the targeted help scheme will not include a 'return path'. As well as enabling access to general internet services, such a facility could be used to enable smart metering, to help people with independent living, or to extend local government e-services.

Click here for the full text of the debate.