Digital switchover (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Digital switchover

July 31, 2009 12:00 AM
By Kirsty Williams AM in Mid Wales Journal Friday 31st July 2009

I'm sure you will all have become familiar with 'digit Al', the switchover robot, who has for the past few years smiled out at us from his pink background on signs and TV ads helping to prepare us for the big switchover. Well his job is almost coming to an end as we fast approach the switchover here in Powys. Across the UK, analogue channels are being switched off region by region and replaced with free-to-air digital TV and radio services, such as Freeview. In Wales this will happen between August this year and March next year. The Switchover will also release airwaves for new services such as fast wireless broadband and viewers will have access to more channels, advanced features and better reception.

For us in Powys, homes which receive their TV signal from the Carmarthen based 'Carmel' transmitter will start to switch from analogue to digital on the 26th August this year. This means most people living in Brecon and Radnorshire, from Ystradgynlais to Rhayader will be affected. For those of us who live in and around Brecon we predominantly receive our signal from the Wenvoe transmitter, which will switchover on the 3rd March 2010. Those who get their signal from Long Mountain, which covers much of Montgomeryshire, will start to switch on 4th November and a small area including and around Machynlleth will come under Blaenplywf, which starts to switch on 10th February 2010.

So what does this mean for us? On each of these dates, those of us in that particular area will lose BBC 2 analogue and 4 weeks later, all analogue channels will disappear. This means that if you haven't yet prepared your TV set for digital, you need to do so soon or you will be left with no television at all from the dates above.

If you are not sure about how to prepare for digital, or if you have any questions, then there is help available from the Switchover Help Scheme. The Help Scheme is run by the BBC under an agreement with the UK Government and is specifically aimed at older and disabled people. Over the past few months the Help Scheme has been writing to eligible older and disabled people in the area inviting them to apply for help to convert one TV to digital in time for switchover this autumn.

You are eligible for the Help Scheme if you are 75 and over; or if you have lived in a care home for six months or more; or if you get (or could get) disability living allowance, or attendance or constant attendance allowance, or mobility supplement; or if you are registered blind or partially sighted.

Most eligible people will be asked to pay £40 towards the standard offer of help which in Wales is Freeview. For eligible people who are also on pension credit, income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance, it's free. If you are eligible you should have received an information pack in the post which gives details about how to apply, an explanation of all of the available options and their prices. Completed information pack forms can be returned to the Help Scheme (FREEPOST, SWITCHOVER), eligible people can also call the Help Scheme free on 0800 40 85 900 or 0800 40 85 904 if they'd rather speak in Welsh. More information is available by visiting helpscheme.co.uk