Press Release 20 July 2001
Postponement of the Bill Brings a Dangerous
Hiatus in Broadcasting
With the main part of the new Communications
Bill now deferred, and delays in the appointment of the new BBC chairman
and the government's decision on the BBC's proposals for its new digital
services, it seems there is a hiatus in broadcasting and an early start
to the silly season. But two issues need urgent attention.
The first concerns the BBC's proposed new
dedicated digital children's channels. VLV strongly supports the
proposals and cannot imagine any parents who will not welcome them.
A huge campaign is being mounted against them, however, by commercial interests,
in particular, foreign owned satellite and cable channels.
Their argument is that they can provide,
at no cost to the licence-payer, programmes of equal worth to those from
the BBC. This is simply not true. First, the BBC
channels will be free of advertising and hard-sell promotions. Second,
the BBC channels will broadcast a wide range of almost exclusively British
made drama, comedy and factual programmes, many of the latter being live
and topical like Newsround and Blue Peter. The satellite channels
commission a minimum of British production and broadcast mainly imported
material, much of it library stock and animation designed for the international
market.
Our children deserve the best, and opportunities
to enjoy and contribute to their own rich cultural heritage of speech and
literature. Only the BBC, together with terrestrial companies
like ITV and Channel 4, bound by positive public service obligations in
regard to the range, quality and origin of their programmes, do provide
this.
*****See Extension to the deadline for
comments to be sent to the DCMS on the BBC's New Services, including its
proposals for two advertising-free, free-to-air channels, below.
The Future of Digital Terrestrial Television
is of National Importance
Meanwhile, the issue of On-digital's future
has been obscured by the media's obsession with what has been portrayed
as a personal feud between the heads of Granada and Carlton Television.
The company is reported to be in financial trouble but the future of one
or even two companies is not the key issue. The problem is that the
number of people switching to digital technology is almost certain to fall
short of the target set by government for analogue switch-off, which could
be as early as 2006. The move to digital is worldwide and now
unstoppable: Japan, the USA, Italy and Germany have already set firm deadlines
for the switch-over. The question is which transmission platform
will be used in the longer term.
VLV believes it is essential that satellite,
terrestrial and cable platforms all succeed.
No single system will by itself provide total
coverage of the UK or all the benefits of digital technology.
More importantly, if the UK government is to have any control over Britain's
airwaves and certain access to its national communications system, digital
terrestrial technology must be firmly in place before analogue transmission
is switched off.
It is absolutely unthinkable that in times
of national emergency the government and consumers could be dependent on
the goodwill of foreign-owned satellite companies based outside the UK.
Equally short-sighted and irresponsible would be to throw away the lead
that Britain currently enjoys in digital terrestrial technology and with
it the potential that that implies for British industry and the national
economy.
For full details of VLV contact:
Voice Of The Listener & Viewer
101 King's Drive, Gravesend
Kent
DA12 5BQ
Telephone: 01474 352835.
Fax: 01474 351112.
E-mail: vlv@btinternet.com
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