News Release

9th June 2008

Publicity push for the Switchover Help Scheme in the Scottish Borders

Help for more than 15,000 older and disabled people to switch to digital TV is being highlighted across the Scottish Borders this week, to make sure everyone gets the message about the Switchover Help Scheme.

This week sees the campaign move up a gear with the launch of radio
adverts, the first of several free regional events and special Help
Scheme captions which started to appear on analogue TV this week (June
9).

And the Help Scheme and Digital UK will be joining forces for a
special event at the Chambers Institute in Peebles on Friday 13 June at
11am.

Press adverts have already run across the Scottish Borders. The
message is "Find out if you are eligible for the Switchover Help Scheme
0800 408 5901."

The Switchover Help Scheme has been designed to take the worry out
of digital switchover for eligible older and disabled people. For a
one-off payment of £40, they will get easy-to-use equipment to convert
one television set, installation of that equipment, a demonstration of
how it works and someone they can call for help while they're getting
used to it.

People are eligible if they are aged 75 or over, registered blind or
partially sighted or if they get, or could get, one of several
disability benefits. Eligible people who also receive income benefits
will get this help for free.

Later this month every eligible person in the Scottish Borders area
covered by the Selkirk transmitter group will receive a letter and
application pack from the Switchover Help Scheme - about 15,000 people.

This is the Options Pack which invites people to apply for the help
available from the Help Scheme. It will set out the standard offer
which is available for £40 or free, and a range of other ways that they
can choose to go digital with the Help Scheme.

Everyone who sends back the Options Pack form will get their help in
plenty of time for the Scottish Borders switchover on November 6. To
make it even easier, eligible people can choose to ring the contact
centre on 0800 408 5901 to apply instead, or they can nominate someone
else to make their application for them. But they must do something to
reply if they would like to take up the help.

The Help Scheme is run by the BBC through an agreement with the
Government, and has been designed around the needs of older and
disabled people. Equipment has been chosen to be easy to use, and
contact centre, delivery staff and installers have all been trained to
understand and respect older and disabled people. Installers are
vetted, carry identification and will never call without having made an
appointment.

Peter White, Chief Executive of the Help Scheme said: "It's our job
to make it as easy as possible for older and disabled people to make
the switch to digital television when they need to. Many people will
find it simple to switch and lots of eligible people already have. But
for those who need a little extra help, we're going to pull out all the
stops to make sure that their switch to get their digital equipment as
simple and easy as possible."

ENDS