[Community Television] Digital TV now in 55% of homes

[Michelle McGuire]

Digital TV now in 55% of homes
17 September 2004 10:53


Digital TV is now in 55% of UK homes, with almost 4 million people 
taking Freeview.

Ofcom reported today that by 30 June this year 13.7 million households 
had taken digital TV with around million taking analogue cable 
services. Overall digital and analogue multichannel penetration now 
stands at 59%.

The 55% digital figure, driven by Freeview and Sky, which now has 7.4 
million subscribers, is up for the 53% figure for the previous quarter. 
Cable subscriptions stood at 3.6 million.

If take-up continues at the same rate the 95% penetration target, which 
the government has said will need to be reached before it will 
authorise analogue switch off the analogue signal, could be reached by 
2009.

Ofcom this week said broadcasters would be required to switch off their 
analogue transmissions by 31 December 2012, with pockets turning off 
from 2007.

Source: broadcastnow.co.uk