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News Release
9th March 2009
One month until digital switchover in Torbay and South Devon - Pass It On
- One month to go before digital TV switchover begins in the West Country on 8 April
- Pass It On about the Switchover Help Scheme - help someone else switch to digital
- TV presenter Maggie Philbin backs the Pass It On campaign.
With just one month before switchover, Maggie Philbin is urging people in Torbay and south Devon to help someone else switch to digital. The former Tomorrow's World presenter is backing the Switchover Help Scheme's Pass It On campaign to make sure every older and disabled person in the area knows about the help they can get to keep their TV working after switchover starts on 8 April.
Maggie Philbin and Digit Al joined forces in Totnes today (Monday) to launch the Pass It On campaign. The Switchover Help Scheme, run by the BBC, is offering around 68,000 older and disabled people in the Torbay and South Devon area practical help to switch one TV to digital in time for switchover. They have been posted a Help Scheme information pack and will be getting a reminder letter. But so far most have not replied, and the Help Scheme is concerned that many older and disabled people might be leaving it to the last minute, or that they might not be sure what to do.
Maggie said: "If you've had a digital telly for years it's very easy to forget the people who could find themselves left behind. It's up to all of us to make sure we check that every friend or neighbour understands that help and support is out there to make the switchover very easy. Pass the message on!"
Torbay and surrounding parts of south Devon served by the Beacon Hill transmitter group begin to switch to digital on 8 April. That's when people without digital TV will start to lose channels. The process will be completed on 22 April when all the analogue signals will switch off for good.
Around 200,000 people are eligible for the Help Scheme in the first phase of switchover in the West Country. As well as Torbay and south Devon, Exeter and other parts of Devon, Somerset, and Dorset which are served by the Stockland Hill transmitter, will be switching from 6 May. So far four out of five eligible people in the region have not responded - but of those that have, about 14,000 have opted in and are now benefitting from the help.
Latest research indicates most viewers in the West Country TV region are ready for switchover. In the three months to December, 98 per cent of those questioned were aware of switchover, eight out of 10 had a good understanding of how to prepare and 87 per cent of homes had digital on at least one TV.
The Help Scheme makes it easy for eligible older and disabled people to switch to digital TV. It offers each eligible household help to switch one TV set to digital, including equipment, installation, an aerial check and an upgrade if necessary. They also get a demonstration of how the equipment works and aftercare. Most people will be asked to contribute £40 towards the help. The service is free for eligible people who also get pension credit, income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance.
People are eligible if:
- They are aged 75 or over
- They have lived in a care home for six months or more
- They get (or could get) disability living allowance, or attendance or constant attendance allowance, or mobility supplement, or
- They are registered blind or partially sighted
People who work regularly with older and disabled people are well placed to help, such as community volunteers, local businesses, postal and utility workers, pharmacists, home helps and carers. And anyone who has managed to switch to digital themselves can help out by making sure their friends and neighbours have switched.
To pass the message on, there are Help Scheme leaflets, specially designed purple bookmarks, and small posters from the Switchover Help Scheme TV advert which have been distributed to community workers and parish councils. They can also be downloaded from the Help Scheme website at www.helpscheme.co.uk.
Local organisations are leading the way in spreading the word about switchover in a final push to get everyone switched in time:
- Parish Councils have received a Help Scheme leaflet and a retuning factsheet to help give advice and raise awareness in the community.
- NHS and Social Services staff, community nurses and health visitors are being invited to Help Scheme awareness briefings in towns throughout the West Country starting in Totnes today (Monday) at Birdwood House, 44 High Street, from 10.30am - 12.30pm followed by a drop-in session for eligible people and their friends and family, and carers, from 1pm - 4pm.
- The Digital UK Switchover Roadshow is touring the region offering advice on all aspects of switchover including the Help Scheme and will be coming to Totnes Market Square in the town centre this Thursday, 12 March from 9am - 5pm.
Many eligible people will be happy to switch themselves to digital without help from the Help Scheme. They are being urged to reply to the letter anyway, so that the Help Scheme knows they are sorted out for switchover. Everyone who responds gets two energy-saving light-bulbs as a "thank you".
People can call the free helpline number to apply or to find out how the Help Scheme can make it easy for eligible people to go digital. Eligible people can also nominate someone else to make their application for them.
There will also be a final burst of West Country TV adverts, starting today (Monday) to remind eligible people that the Help Scheme is here to help them switch over.
For more information about the Help Scheme call 0800 40 85 900; textphone users can call 0800 40 85 936; or e-mail info@helpscheme.co.uk; or visit www.helpscheme.co.uk. To find out more about digital switchover visit www.digitaluk.co.uk.
ENDS
Press contacts:
Switchover Help Scheme Press Office Line: 0207 47 87 801 or 07734 82 0933 (on the day)
Notes to editors
* Source: Digital UK/Ofcom Tracker survey, Q4 2008. Sample size 444
Switchover Help Scheme
The Help Scheme is run by the BBC under an agreement with the Government to help older and disabled people make the change to digital TV. Eligible people are offered practical help to convert one of their TV sets to digital in the run-up to switchover in each region.
In the run-up to switchover in each region, every eligible person will be offered practical help to convert one of their TV sets to digital. People are eligible if they are aged 75 or over, or they have lived in a care home for six months or more; they get (or could get) disability living allowance, or attendance or constant attendance allowance, or mobility supplement, or they are registered blind or partially sighted.
Most people will be asked to contribute £40 towards the help. The service is free for people who are eligible and also get pension credit, income support or income-based jobseekers allowance. More information is available by calling 0800 40 85 900 or through visiting www.helpscheme.co.uk
Digital television switchover is the process of converting the UK's terrestrial television system to digital. Between now and 2012, analogue channels will be switched off region by region and replaced with free-to-air digital TV and radio services (Freeview). Switchover will extend Freeview coverage to the whole of the UK and free up airwaves for new services such as ultra-fast wireless broadband and mobile television.
When will switchover happen:
| Transmitter group: | Area: | Start date: | End date: |
| Beacon Hill | Serving Torbay and south Devon | 8 April 2009 | 22 April 2009 |
| Stockland Hill | Serving Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset | 6 May 2009 | 20 May 2009 |
| Huntshaw Cross | Serving north Devon | 1 July 2009 | 29 July 2009 |
| Redruth | Serving west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | 8 July 2009 | 5 August 2009 |
| Caradon Hill | Serving Plymouth, parts of Devon and east Cornwall | 12 August 2009 | 9 September 2009 |
Digital UK
Digital UK is the independent, not-for-profit organisation established in 2005 to implement digital switchover. It is jointly owned and funded by the public-service broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, S4C and Teletext) and the digital multiplex operators.
eaga
eaga, the provider of residential energy efficiency and outsourcing services, has been selected by the BBC as the Help Scheme service provider to deliver the help available under the scheme from the ITV Border region onwards.
Digital Outreach Limited - Digital Outreach Ltd was set up through a third/private sector partnership between Age Concern; Help the Aged, Community Service Volunteers and Collective Enterprises Ltd to help older and disabled people benefit from new technology and services delivered in their own homes. Digital Outreach Ltd currently works under contract with Digital UK to deliver the Digital Switchover Community Outreach Programme.
Maggie Philbin
Maggie Philbin has worked in television for 30 years. Currently providing analysis on technology for BBC Breakfast and a regular reporter on Inside Out, she has been making complicated science engaging since presenting Tomorrow's World and Hospital Watch.
Technology which we now take for granted was demonstrated for the very first time by Maggie - the fax machine, the first supermarket barcode reader and the first sat nav. She also demonstrated the first fishing rod that lit up in the dark, the first washing line that sang when it rained and the first electric blanket that knew where your hot bits were. She tends to keep quiet about that!
Maggie is passionate to make sure that young and old make the most of modern technology. Through groundbreaking events like Teentech, she encourages young people and their parents to understand the wide range of opportunities in science and technology. She also works with Age Concern to make sure older people realise the powerful modern communication tools are for them as well as their children and grandchildren.
List of Events
Switchover Help Scheme awareness briefings:
- 10am - 12noon, session for local authority departments, NHS and Social services staff and other professionals
- 2pm - 4pm Eligible people and their friends and family.
Programme as follows:
| 10am | Introduction to Digital Switchover in your area |
| 10.30am | Switchover Help Scheme |
| 12am | Networking Lunch |
| 1pm until 4pm | Drop-in event for eligible people, their friends and family |
When and where:
March
Totnes 9th March
Birdwood House, 44 High Street, Totnes, TQ9 5NP
Sidmouth 9th March
Committee room, East Devon District Council, Knowle, Sidmouth, EX10 8HL
Teignmouth, 11th March
Alice Cross Centre, 1-2 Bitton Park Road, Teignmouth, TQ14 9BT
Dartmouth 13th March
The Flaval, Flaval Place, Dartmouth, TQ6 9ND
Ashburton 16th March
Lounge, St Lawrence Chapel, St Lawrence Lane, Ashburton, TQ13 7DD
Newton Abbott 17th March
Courtenay centre, Rm 1, Kingsteignton Rd, Newton Abbott, TQ12 2QA
Brixham 19th March
Town Hall , New Road, Brixham, TQ5 8TA
Exeter 20th March,
Exeter Central Library, Learning Suite, Castle Street, Exeter EX4 3PQ
Exmouth 24th March
Committe room, Exmouth Town hall, St Andrews Road, Exmouth, EX8 1AW
Lyme Regis 25th March
Woodmead Hall, HIll Road, Lyme Regis, DT7 3PG
Weymouth 30th March
Library (upstairs room), Great George St, Weymouth, DT4 8NN
April
Dorchester 1st April
Magistrates Room, Dorchester Municipal Buildings, High East Street, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1HF
Bridport 3rd April
WI Hall, North street, Bridport
Tiverton 6th April
New Hall, St Andrew Street, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 6PG
Crediton 7th April
Boniface Centre, Church Street, Crediton EX17 2AH
Ottery St Mary 14th April
The Institute, Yonder Street, Ottery St Mary, EX11
Seaton, 16th April
Town Hall (Comittee rm am, hall pm), Fore Street, Seaton, EX12 2LD
Dawlish, 20th April
The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish, Devon EX7 9AP
Beaminster, 22nd April
Skyrm Room, Beaminster Town council, 8 Fleet Street, BEAMINSTER, Dorset. DT8 3EF
Digital UK Roadshow
Held from 9am - 5pm
| Dartmouth | Mayors Avenue Car Park, Town Centre | 10 Mar |
| Brixham | 18-22 Fore Street, Town Centre | 11 Mar |
| Totnes | Market Square, Town Centre | 12 Mar |
| Teignmouth | The Triangle, Waterloo Street, Town Centre | 13 Mar |
| Newton Abbot | "The Boulder", Courtney Street, Town Centre | 14 Mar |
| Buckfastleigh | Victoria Woodholme Car Park, Plymouth Road, Town Centre | 17 Mar |
| Ashburton | Kingsbridge Lane Car Park, Kingsbridge Lane, Town Centre | 18 Mar |
| Dawlish | Dawlish Lawn, Town Centre | 19 Mar |
| Exmouth | Magnolia Centre, Town Centre | 20 Mar |
| Exeter | Bedford Square, Town Centre | 21 Mar |
| Crediton | Town Square, Market Square, Town Centre | 24 Mar |
| Tiverton | 1 Pheonix Lane, Town Centre | 25 Mar |
| Honiton | Lace Walk, Short Stay Car Park, Dowell Street, Town Centre | 26 Mar |
| Chard | In Layby beyond Guildhall, Town Centre | 27 Mar |
| Lyme Regis | Adjacent to Cobb Car Park, Town Centre | 28 Mar |
| Bridport | Bucky Doo Square, Town Centre | 31 Mar |
| Weymouth | Town Square, Town Centre | 1 Apr |
| Crewkerne | Falklands Square, Town Centre | 2 Apr |
| Sherborne | The Parade at the bottom of Cheap Street, Town Centre | 3 Apr |
| Yeovil | The Triangle, Middle Street, Town Centre | 4 Apr |
| Ilminster | Market Square, Town Centre | 7 Apr |
| Axminster | West Street Car Park, Town Centre | 8 Apr |
| South Molton | Town Square, Town Centre | 9 Apr |
| Barnstaple | High Street, Town Centre | 11 Apr |
| Westward Ho! | Westward Ho! Main Car Park, Town Centre | 14 Apr |
| Bideford | Bideford Quay, Sea Front | 15 Apr |
| Appledore | Churchfield Car Park, Town Centre | 16 Apr |
| Braunton | Caen Street Car Park, Town Centre | 17 Apr |
| Ilfracombe | Near Capstone Parade, Sea Front | 18 Apr |