Category: BBC
Date: 26.04.2004
Printable version
BBC report on Digital Switchover Report published
The BBC has today published its first report on digital
switchover, Progress Towards Achieving Digital Switchover,
following its submission to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media
and Sport.
The report states that digital switchover is challenging
but achievable within the Government's timetable, given continued consumer
enthusiasm and the right policy framework.
The report sets out key recommendations that the Corporation
believes are essential if the UK is to achieve switchover from analogue
to digital television.
Foremost, switchover can be achieved within the Government's
timetable if it makes a clear commitment including establishing an appropriate
regional switchover sequence.
Once this has been achieved, the BBC is also proposing
the creation of a dedicated and properly staffed organisation to manage
the switchover programme.
Additionally, significant investment must be secured
to support the marketing and communications campaigns that will be key
to ensuring that the audience is able to make the transition to the
fully digital world.
The final part of the digital jigsaw identified in the
report is the development of a viewer-friendly, non-subscription digital
satellite option.
On this, the Corporation welcomes the opportunity to
work with other organisations as quickly as possible to begin to make
a non-subscription digital satellite option a reality.
"The BBC fully recognises that digital switchover has
the potential to bring great economic, social and cultural value to
Britain.
"Most importantly we are focused on our audiences
and are aware of the danger of a deeper digital divide," commented Andy
Duncan, Director, Marketing, Communications and Audiences, BBC.
"By working with like-minded partners we would like
to see an additional route to digital access - free-to-air digital satellite
- become a viable and attractively simple option.
"This will ensure all our audiences can have access
to the BBC's comprehensive portfolio of digital services and the fully
digital world."
Growth of the UK's digital market has been a great success
to date, with digital television available in over 54% of homes with
a significant contribution from Freeview.
The BBC's investment in its digital channels and subsequent
promotions has also played a pivotal role in exciting consumer interest
in digital, tackling their initial confusion and assuaging their fears.
Moving forward however, the BBC said that there was
a need for the Government to recognise the risks of switchover for the
industry and work to underwrite the costs of any delays.
Carolyn Fairbairn, Director of Strategy and Distribution,
BBC, added: "The BBC has been making a vital contribution to bringing
public service broadcasting into the digital age.
"On the final stage of the journey towards a fully
digital Britain we want to see our services available to all licence
fee payers as quickly as possible and ensure that there are no pockets
of people who are digitally disenfranchised.
"Therefore as we move closer towards this common
final goal, the BBC will continue to play an important role in partnership
with both Government and other organisations to realise a fully digital
Britain."
The BBC's report is available online - Progress
Towards Achieving Digital Switchover.
