BBC Once Analogue Signal Is Switched Off

I hope the BBC ONE & TWO closedowns do return, this can only happen when and if Learnign Zone gets its own channel and when ananlogue ONE & TWO r turnt off!

No, I don't agree with what david16 said.

Slightly off-topic but significant...
The BBC's internal paper 'Arial' mentioned that there's mutterings about the BBC taking over ITV Digital.

Can't remember exactly what it said, but the jist of it went that ITV are having big problems financially supporting the DTT platform, and the Government need the platform there so it can meet it's target of 95% of population able to receive digits by 2010 when it intends to switch off analogue.

The talk is of a 'Railtrack' type take-over - Government decide that present supplier isn't doing a satisfactory job & give it to a company who is capable of running it without shareholders getting in the way.

This might be just gossip floating around the Beeb, but who knows!

That would be an excellent idea! Maybe if the BBC were in charge they'd use it for a small number of high quality free-to-air channels, instead of pointlessly trying to compete with Sky Digital and squeezing in as much as they can and never mind the picture quality.

I couldn't find the appropriate thread to put this in, cant see for looking - but feel free to move it. You all know about the BBC regions being put on Satellite from early next year , but here's the full BBC Press Release I was sent.

'Digital satellite launch announced for BBC regional services

Director-General Greg Dyke announced today (16 October 2001) that Digital Satellite viewers across England are to receive their regional news services on BBC ONE for the first time. Two-thirds of the country will get this service early in the New Year and the remaining regions as soon as possible thereafter.

Speaking at a seminar in Birmingham to members of the BBC's advisory councils from across England, the Director-General said: 'We firmly believe in the digital future and will do whatever we sensibly can to invest in it, to add to viewers' choice. By using the innovative interactive technology used so successfully for Wimbledon and the Open Golf this summer we can now provide these new regional services.'

The first phase, covering more than 70% of the population, will apply to viewers in the London area, the North West (broadcast from Manchester), the North region (broadcast from Leeds via Emley Moor transmitter), the West Midlands (broadcast from Birmingham) and the South (broadcast from Southampton).

N.B.For the time being it will be the Emley version of Look North broadcast on digital satellite. So, Sky Digital viewers in the Belmont area will have to revert to analogue in order to get the sub-opted version of Look North.

We hope to launch the rest of the English Regions local news programmes on satellite soon.
Until then digital satellite viewers outside these five regions will have to switch back to analogue TV in order to watch them.

Ashley Highfield, Director of New Media & Technology, says 'The interactive opt outs highlight the BBC's commitment to providing content which reflects the needs of our local audiences and marks the first step in letting our viewers choose the news they want to watch.'

'This is great news for viewers across the BBC North region,' said Head of Regional and Local Programmes Colin Philpott. 'BBC Look North is already the region's favourite news and now digital satellite viewers will be able to enjoy the programme in full digital sound and picture quality - and without having to switch back to analogue.'

Viewers will select the regional programme of their choice from a menu of five alternatives. This will also enable viewers to overcome existing regional anomalies on analogue TV (people getting the 'wrong' region), caused by local topography.

The changes also mean that the current service carried in regional news slots on BBC ONE in digital satellite homes, UK Today, will no longer be needed and come to an end in January.

The changes will benefit an estimated 4.2 million homes in England that currently have digital satellite.


Notes to editors

1. The BBC has already introduced all regional versions of BBC ONE across England for both digital terrestrial and digital cable viewers - an estimated 1.5 million homes.

2. Greg Dyke was speaking at the second seminar to be held by the BBC's English National Forum, an independent body which advises the BBC Governors on the views of the BBC's 48 advisory councils across England. The subject of this year's seminar was 'Production, Portrayal and People - the BBC's role in England's regions.'

But what would they call it? BBC ITV Digital? ITV BBC Digital? BBC ONdigital? ONBBC? UK BBC?

I've been reading that because BBC One/Two's digital signal will go kaputs soon, that News 24 (or its simulcast on BBC One) isn't needed. Can anyone explain to me why this is so?

/Operation Cleanup/