News Release

6th April 2009

One month until digital switchover in Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset - Pass It On

• One month to go before Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset switch to digital TV on 6 May.
• Pass It On about the Switchover Help Scheme - help someone else switch to digital

With just one month before digital switchover in the area served by
the Stockland Hill transmitter group, the Switchover Help Scheme is
urging people in Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset to help
someone else switch to digital.

Maggie Philbin, 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 knows they can get help to keep their TV working
after switchover starts 6 May.

The Switchover Help Scheme, run by the BBC, is offering about
120,000 older and disabled people in the Exeter, Devon, Somerset and
Dorset area, practical help to switch one TV to digital in time for
switchover. They have been posted a Help Scheme information pack and a
reminder letter. So far three quarters have not replied. The "Pass It
On" campaign appeals to everyone to make sure older and disabled people
they know are aware of the Help Scheme and know it can help.

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!"

Exeter, parts of Devon, Somerset and Dorset served by the Stockland
Hill transmitter group begin to switch to digital on 6 May. That's when
people without digital TV will start to lose channels. The process will
be completed on 20 May when all the analogue signals will switch off
for good.

Around 200,000 people are eligible for the Help Scheme in the areas
served by the Beacon Hill and Stockland Hill transmitters in the West
Country. So far three out of four eligible people in the region have
not responded. About 16,000 have opted in and are now benefitting from
the practical 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.

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.

A trail featuring Paralympian Eleanor Simmonds will air on national
BBC TV over the next two weeks to remind all older and disabled people
that help is on hand to convert to digital with the Help Scheme.

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

Notes to editors

* Source: Digital UK/Ofcom Tracker survey, Jan/Feb 2009. Sample size
253 (Figures for the Beacon Hill and Stockland transmitter group area)

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:

April

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

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
Torquay	Town Centre	22 Apr
Exeter	Town Centre	6,7,20 May