News Release

27th October 2009

Help Scheme is at hand for you to switch to digital TV in the STV North region

Older and disabled people living in Lewis and parts of Harris and Skye are being urged to watch out of the Switchover Help Scheme information packs that explain how they can get extra help to convert one TV to digital in time for switchover next July.

Run by the BBC, the Switchover Help Scheme has been set up to help eligible older and disabled people make the change to digital on one of their TV sets.

Help Scheme letters containing details about how to apply, an explanation of all the available options and prices, will start going out to eligible people from next week.

Eligible people are being asked to respond to the packs as soon as possible, as Help Scheme engineers will be operating on the islands in the run-up to Christmas to install digital equipment for people who have taken up the offer of help.

Derek McCune, STV Network Manager, said: “We’re encouraging you to take advantage of our team of installers working on the islands from mid-November until early December.

“We’ll be able to respond very quickly to their applications to convert one TV to digital because we will be on the islands themselves at the time. You will be working with local installers to deliver the Help Scheme service.

“For customers who would like to have Freeview services in time for Christmas, now is the right time to get in touch with the Help Scheme.

“Please call us on 0800 408 7654 to book an appointment.”

Eligible people served by the Eitshal transmitter group covering Lewis, Wester Ross, North West Sutherland and parts of Harris and Skye will begin to switch to digital on 7 July 2010.

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

For a one-off payment of £40, eligible people will be offered:

• easy-to-use digital equipment to convert one television set in their home;
• home delivery and installation if they wish;
• an aerial check and replacement if needed, where we can;
• a helpline and retuning advice;
• a 12 month digital TV aftercare service.

The standard offer for eligible people in the STV North TV region is a Freeview set-top box installed on one TV. The equipment will give people accessto more than 20 channels including all of the public service channels.

Most people will be asked to pay £40 towards the standard offer of help. For eligible people who are also on pension credit, income support, income-based jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance, it’s free.

All eligible people in the region can also choose from other digital options. These include freesat and Sky amongst others; some of which cost extra.

Eligible people need to respond to get the help.  Completed information pack forms can be returned freepost to the Help Scheme, or, to make it even easier to apply, eligible people can also choose to call the Help Scheme free on 0800 408 7654.

In addition, any eligible person who needs help to apply can nominate someone else to complete their form for them.

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. All installers are vetted, carry identification and will never call without having made an appointment.

-ENDS-

Media Contacts:
Sean Haran
PR and Communications Manager
T: 0191 245 8772
M: 07939147719
E: sean.haran@eaga.com

Sarah Fairfax
Communications Executive
T: 0191 245 8834
M: 07730424407
E: sarah.fairfax@eaga.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

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 408 7654 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.

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.