Digital switchover is on target says report

Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell today welcomed the progress made by industry towards achieving the 2006 - 2010 target for the digital switchover.

And responding to a joint ITC/BBC report Progress Towards Digital

Switchover, she stressed the government would take the necessary

steps to ensure that the challenging target is met.

The report shows that take up of digital television - at 40% today - could almost double over the next five years.

Tessa Jowell said: "I welcome this report. It underlines how well the market has done by itself in driving forward digital take-up. It is to be applauded for

this.

"Doomsayers may suggest we won't meet the target. I would say to them

that if industry can make this much progress on its own, anything is possible. The strong take-up since the launch of Freeview shows digital television is a product the public wants."

The report focuses on a five-year period to assist planning for digital switchover later in the decade. Owing to the inevitable uncertainty stemming from a re-launch of the DTT platform, the ITC and the BBC have suggested a take-up range for the next five years, from 58% to around 78% at the upper end of expectations.

The aim of the research is to consider the progress to date in the development of the digital television market and to help consider how long broadcasting of analogue services should continue.

(GMcG)