Publicising the digital switchover
Friday, 05 September 2008 14:58
The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, has announced a public information campaign about the digital switchover, to begin in March 2009, in advance of the first launch of digital terrestrial television (DTT). The Minister is right in describing this information campaign as "central to the success of national rollout". A lack of proper information in the UK has caused confusion amongst older and disabled TV viewers, resulting in many of them not availing of the financial help to which they are entitled.
Older and disabled people in the UK are entitled to free or subsidised equipment and installation under the Digital Switchover Help Scheme. It is hoped that a similar scheme will be introduced in Ireland.
However, the report from the first UK switchover (PDF, 4.3Mb) in Whitehaven, Cumbria, revealed that only 14% of those eligible for the subsidy and 50% of those eligible for free assistance availed of it. It concluded that there was widespread misunderstanding of who was eligible and what they were getting. Most did not appreciate that under the subsidised scheme they would only have to pay the first £40 for accessible equipment and installation.
If such a scheme is introduced in Ireland, it will be important to ensure that the rules and benefits are clearly communicated to all those who could be eligible and that this information is made available in accessible and understandable formats such as Braille, large print, Plain English, etc.
The UK Government has learned from its experiences with the first switchover and is launching a national campaign to publicise the help scheme. In the first step, two adverts – one featuring an elderly lady who tries to match-make between a visitor and her digital equipment installer, and another featuring a blind man who jokes that his guide dog can't install a digibox with his paws – will run on BBC One and BBC Two.
Peter White, chief executive of the scheme, said "We want to reassure everyone eligible that when that time comes practical help will be available."