News Release

6th April 2009

Granada Gets Switched On to Switchover Help Scheme

Over one million older and disabled people will soon be offered help
to switch over to digital television with the launch of the Switchover
Help Scheme in the Granada region.

The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC through agreement with
the Government to help eligible older and disabled people to make the
change to digital on one of their TV sets.

Eligible people in the Granada ITV region will be written to over
the summer and offered help to switch to digital through the Help
Scheme.

People are eligible if they are:

• People aged 75 or over;
• People who have lived in a care home for six months or more;
• People who get (or could get) attendance allowance or disability
  living allowance from the DHSS, or constant attendance allowance or
  mobility supplement paid with their war pension;
• People who are registered blind or partially sighted.

For a one-of payment of £40, eligible people in the Granada region will be offered:

• Easy-to-use equipment to convert one television set to digital;
• Help with installing the equipment;
• Fitting a satellite dish, or aerial where we cannot fit a dish, if it's needed to make the new equipment work;
• A demonstration of how the new equipment works;
• Someone to call for help while getting used to it.

This service is free for people who are eligible and who also
receive pension credit, income support or income based jobseekers
allowance.

To make sure everyone gets the message, the Help Scheme has launched
a television advertising campaign which will start to appear on screens
across the Granada ITV region this week.

The two warm and humorous adverts featuring "Jean", a lady of nearly
80 and 14-year-old Paralympic double gold medallist Eleanor Simmonds,
start to run on Granada ITV on April 6. These highlight how easy it is
for eligible older and disabled people to convert to digital with the
Help Scheme.

The Help Scheme will also be running local and poster advertising
campaigns, staging Help Scheme events in the lead up to switchover and
is working alongside Digital UK and with local charities and
organisations to spread the word.

Taniya Butt, Help Scheme spokesperson in the Granada region, said:
"Digital switchover is coming and we are here to do everything we can
to make sure that no eligible people will be left behind. We will be
writing to everyone who is eligible explaining exactly what help is
available and what they need to do. The most important thing is not to
worry - we will be in touch."

Those living in the Granada ITV region served by the Winter Hill
transmitter are due to switchover in a two-stage process on starting on
November 4 2009 and finishing on December 2 2009.

Most eligible people will receive their first letter and information pack between June and August 2009.

The information pack will invite people to apply for the help
available. It sets out the standard offer which is available for £40 or
free, as well as offering a range of other ways to go digital with the
Help Scheme.

The standard offer in the Granada region is for a Freeview set top
box installed on one of their TVs. The equipment will give them access
to more than 20 channels including all of the public service channels.

All eligible people in Granada can also choose from other digital
options including freesat and Sky amongst others, some of which cost
extra.

All options and prices are clearly set out in an information pack which will be sent direct to each eligible person's home.

To make it even easier, eligible people can choose to apply by calling the Help Scheme free on 0800 40 85 906 or they can nominate someone else to make their application for them.

The Switchover 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 specially chosen for ease of
use, and contact centre, delivery staff and installers have all been
trained to understand and respect older and disabled people. Installers
are vetted by the Criminal Records Bureau, carry identification and
will never call without having made an appointment.

ENDS

Notes for editors

Media contacts:

Diane Green
PR and Communications Manager - Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8847
M: 07951478832

E: diane.green@eaga.com

Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive - Switchover Help Scheme
T: 0191 245 8834
M: 07730424407

E: sarah.faifax@eaga.com

Switchover Help Scheme

The Switchover Help Scheme is run by the BBC through an agreement
with the Government to help older and disabled people make the change
to digital.

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 years or more, or if
they are registered blind or partially sighted. Also eligible are
people who get (or could get) attendance or constant attendance
allowance, mobility supplement, or disability living allowance and
those who have lived in a care home for six months or more.

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 85 906 or through visiting 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.

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.