UK Government defends plan to switch off terrestrial TV
8 hours ago
- #digital-divide
- #UK-TV-transition
- #media-policy
- The UK government plans to switch off terrestrial TV transmitters, possibly by 2034 or 2044, transitioning to internet-based TV.
- Critics, including MPs and anti-poverty groups, warn that vulnerable groups (older, lower-income) reliant on Freeview could be left behind or face unaffordable broadband costs.
- The media green paper proposes giving public service broadcasters prominence on digital platforms and restructuring Ofcom for digital regulation.
- A Future TV Taskforce supports a managed shift to internet TV by 2034, but analysts question the cost-benefit analysis and lack of funding for the transition.