[Community Television] Scottish Borders first to see DTT switchover?

[Ian Fergusson]

Scottish borders to be digital guinea pig

Owen Gibson, chief reporter
  Wednesday September 15, 2004
  Hundreds of thousands of residents of the Scottish borders face a 
television blackout after media watchdog Ofcom earmarked the region as 
the first in Britain to have its analogue signal switched off 
completely.

  According to broadcasting sources, the draft versions of the new 
digital licences that will cover the period when the government will 
begin switching off the analogue television signal indicate that the 
sparsely populated region will be the guinea pig for the rest of the 
country.

  The area - which covers the western area of the British Isles from the 
north of the Lake District in England to southern Scotland and also 
includes the Isle of Man - has a population of just 450,000 and 
includes just one major city, Carlisle.

  Several areas had previously been mooted as potential test beds for 
the switchover, including the Channel Islands and south London.

  It is likely that the border region has been chosen as the first to be 
pencilled in for switchover because of its small population and the 
fact that it is covered by distinct transmitters that don't "bleed" 
into other regions.

  But it will present broadcasters and the regulator with substantial 
challenges in that it is relatively poor and its predominantly rural 
nature means digital reception of the Freeview signal is patchy at 
best.

  Broadcasters, and the government, hope the imminent launch of a 
"freesat" service from BSkyB, which will offer 150 channels for a 
one-off payment of around £150, will persuade those who cannot receive 
Freeview to upgrade to digital.

--------------------------
  Ian K. Fergusson n Manager, Press & Publicity n  BBC Bristol /  BBC 
West & Southwest
  Room 20, Broadcasting House, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2LR, 
England, UNITED KINGDOM
  T (+44)-(0)117-974-2109  Int. 0142109  MOBEX 071-42109 M 07736-481172  
F (+44)-(0)117-923-7147  
ian.fergusson at bbc.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice n http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature

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