Paying to prevent the digital divide
Here we go, don't say I didn't warn you with tales of woe from Europe.
I see today that the UK's Culture Secretary has said that the BBC will have to foot the bill to subsidise the vulnerable in upgrading receiving equipment when the UK goes digital. The bill? An estimated £600m. Ouch.
But it's not the BBC paying, but the taxpayer, because of the unique way in which the BBC is funded (i.e. a tax). Although the BBC is still awaiting its latest 'tax' settlement - a decision that the government makes - so all this is up in the air, so to speak. So it might come out of the BBC's pocket to the detriment of other budgetary priorities.
Herein lies the problem - whoever wants digital switchover to happen should pay for it. So that's the government, then? Another argument I've heard is that if the BBC doesn't lead the way, new technology - not just but including digital - won't happen. So they're a massive player.
The good news, if there is any, is that at least someone has thought about the potentially hundreds of thousands, if not more, people in the UK who won't be in a postition to afford the new, arguably basic, kit that digital demands (those who can afford it will go for the newer whiz kit, naturally). This isn't just the switch from black and white to colour TV, but something so big that hasn't happened in the history of UK broadcasting. I mean, there are people in Yorkshire who still can't get either Channel 5 (no great loss) OR digital radio... admittedly that's a TX problem, but the principle's there.
Until this sort of argument over who pays and blanket coverage is sorted out, I'm afraid by government intervention - and not regulators or broadcasters with their own vested interests - we may as well put off the analogue switch off until we're absolutely confident that the country's covered.
Like we saw in Holland...
I see today that the UK's Culture Secretary has said that the BBC will have to foot the bill to subsidise the vulnerable in upgrading receiving equipment when the UK goes digital. The bill? An estimated £600m. Ouch.
But it's not the BBC paying, but the taxpayer, because of the unique way in which the BBC is funded (i.e. a tax). Although the BBC is still awaiting its latest 'tax' settlement - a decision that the government makes - so all this is up in the air, so to speak. So it might come out of the BBC's pocket to the detriment of other budgetary priorities.
Herein lies the problem - whoever wants digital switchover to happen should pay for it. So that's the government, then? Another argument I've heard is that if the BBC doesn't lead the way, new technology - not just but including digital - won't happen. So they're a massive player.
The good news, if there is any, is that at least someone has thought about the potentially hundreds of thousands, if not more, people in the UK who won't be in a postition to afford the new, arguably basic, kit that digital demands (those who can afford it will go for the newer whiz kit, naturally). This isn't just the switch from black and white to colour TV, but something so big that hasn't happened in the history of UK broadcasting. I mean, there are people in Yorkshire who still can't get either Channel 5 (no great loss) OR digital radio... admittedly that's a TX problem, but the principle's there.
Until this sort of argument over who pays and blanket coverage is sorted out, I'm afraid by government intervention - and not regulators or broadcasters with their own vested interests - we may as well put off the analogue switch off until we're absolutely confident that the country's covered.
Like we saw in Holland...
posted by The Stoat | 20:19
1 Comments:
I see in the online Guardian Media website it quotes Ofcom as saying
Ofcom has rejected a bid by the BBC and Channel 4 to be guaranteed spectrum freed up by the analogue TV switch-off to use for Freeview high definition channels.
Ed Richards, the Ofcom chief executive, said today that public service broadcasters would get no special treatment and would have to bid for spectrum in a public auction, alongside commercial operators looking to use the bandwidth for new TV or telecoms services.
Which considering how the BBC is being used to promote the change to digital of HD is the next stage this seems more than a bit strange.
The digital switch over and the developement we have alluded to with problems regarding digital radio and television we are jumping in far too soon or being forced into a decision that has not seemingly been thought out or its a case of we know that there are problems but we're going down this route anyhow.
It appears unless you are in the media business or living in another country, this information is not getting the publicity it deserves and probably the general population don't care or realise what this means until its too late.
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