MID ARGYLL is facing a huge digital disappointment with the switch from terrestrial to digital television.
Many parts of the UK will have up to 50 channels on the basic digital TV service but unless people living in Mid Argyll, Kintyre, Islay and Jura dig deep into their pockets to buy satellite services they will have the basic 18 channels. Even then reception will vary enormously between areas.
Lochgilphead and Ardrishaig will need to be ready for the big switch-on between April and June 2011 with their transmitter coming from South Knapdale.
Inveraray will have their transmission from Strachur with the switch-on also taking place between April and June 2011.
The switch-on comes sooner to Kilmartin and surrounding areas in October and December 2010 with the signal being received from the Bellanoch transmitter. The area will receive the basic 18 channels.
Tarbert will switch on between April and June 2011 and is likely to receive 18 channels.
But Crinan appears to come out on top with 50 channels available when they switch over between October and December 2010. Their main transmitter will come from Torosay.
Lochgilphead based satellite/aerial television engineer, Dochie MacBrayne said most people in the area had already opted for digital television but some still had analogue sets.
‘It’s mostly elderly people that have analogue sets nowadays. Most folk do have digital but there are still some of my customers that have black and white sets.’
The digital TV switchover is a UK Government policy. It means that almost everyone will be able to receive digital TV through an aerial.
Digital TV also uses less broadcast space which means that after the switchover, there will be more room for new services such as wireless broadband, local TV and High Definition Television (HDTV).
A spokesman for Digital UK, which is in charge of the switch over said the number of channels that can be broadcast from relay transmitters is restricted by the limited availably of airwaves and the ‘very significant cost of upgrading local transmitters’.
Alan Reid MP for Argyll and Bute said: ‘Westminster is making huge profits from selling off the airwaves being made available by switching from analogue to digital television and the government should devote some small part of the money raised to ensure that people in my constituency and elsewhere receive the same television service as the rest of the country.’
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