Burnham: Minister must ensure digital TV makes the Grade for all

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 13th Jun 2004

With Culture Minister Alan Pugh to meet Michael Grade in Cardiff today, Eleanor Burnham AM has called on the Minister to press the BBC Chairman on the issue of access to digital TV for the poor and vulnerable.

Mrs Burnham said, "If digital TV is to succeed and if we are to enable everyone to access this new technology, some sort of assistance will have to be given to those who are struggling to afford digital receivers.

"If any solution is to be found then it will involve the BBC as part owner of Freeview, and the Minister must use today's meeting with its Chairman Michael Grade to address the issue.

"With Wales due to be the first region of the UK switchover to digital in 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government must press both the Government and the BBC to make public their plans to enable everyone to access digital TV, not just those better off.

"Age Concern Cymru estimate that 17 per cent of single older men and 21 per cent of single older women are in poverty, these are just some of the people who struggle to afford digital TV. After 2008 if they want to watch TV, they will have no choice but to go digital."

Figures released at the weekend show that Freeview, part owned by the BBC, has become one of the most successful new technologies in British television history, with take-up rising 10 per cent in the first three months of the year. Since its launch less than three years ago, the service has been adopted by almost a third of all households using multi-channel television.

In the Financial Times at the weekend, industry analysts were quoted as expecting UK penetration of digital services to reach 84 per cent by 2010 but warned that some sort of subsidy and infrastructure investment will be necessary to reach universal adoption.

ENDS

Diwedd/Ends.