[OT] Digital TV: one day to go!

["Kenneth Watt" <kennwatt@xxxxxxx>]

The latest on the ITVD debacle!

K.

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Viewers want big movies and sport, says new research

The bidder that wins the race for the digital licences vacated by ITV
Digital will struggle to attract digital "refuseniks", according = to new
research.

It suggests the lack of big name movies and sport on digital terrestrial television will cost the government dear when it comes to persuading
digital dissenters to make the switch.

According to the new figures, almost half of all those without digital
television would be persuaded to convert if they were offered the chance to watch the latest movie releases and more than a third would be
persuaded by big sporting events.

But the findings, based on a survey conducted for set-top manufacturer
Pace, contradict the approach being taken by both of the leading
candidates to take over the capacity left vacant by the collapse of ITV
Digital.

The BBC, backed by BSkyB and transmission company Crown Castle,
advocates a suite of free to air channels, while ITV and Channel 4's
combination of free to air and "pay TV lite" makes no provision f= or the
inclusion of sports or movie channels.

The pay TV element of the ITV/Channel 4 bid would be made up of more
general subscription channels such as E4, UK Gold and the Discovery
Channel in return for a monthly payment of around =A310.

Yet the backers of the pay TV element are caught between a rock and a
hard place. To keep costs down they can't afford to compete with BSkyB
in signing up big name movies and sporting events. It was ITV Digital's
attempt to take on SkyDigital in its heartland of movies and sport that
was ultimately its undoing.

Industry experts are predicting both bids will find it hard to attract
the hardcore of consumers who have yet to be persuaded of the benefits
of digital television.

"Learn from past mistakes," said Dario Betti, an analyst at Ovum.=
"Digital terrestrial television needs solid backing, better signal
strength, wider coverage, but also more content. Repeating what is
available on analogue terrestrial, cable or satellite is simply not
enough."

But the survey also contains some good news for broadcasters and the
government, which has pledged to switch off the existing analogue signal by 2010. It indicates that the ITV Digital fiasco has raised public
awareness about the existence of digital terrestrial services.

Almost six in 10 of those questioned were aware of the digital switch
off date, compared with 50% in November 2001.

This week, both sides have been making last-minute representations to
the independent television commission, which is due to announce the
winning bid on Thursday.

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