MP Michael Moore has written to Ministers to express his anger over shortcomings in Borders digital television services after a number of his constituents experienced difficulties while retuning their Freeview boxes.
The Freeview service is being upgraded to allow more homes to view channel 5, but almost half a million households are expected to lose access to ITV3 and ITV4 instead. Consumers in some regions have reported the loss of almost all of their digital channels.
After the Digital Switchover process began at the end of last year, Mr Moore had received assurances from Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, that action would be taken to help those in the Borders in line to receive the limited ‘Freeview Lite’ package.
Commenting, Mr Moore said:
‘Despite assurances from Ministers that action would be taken to help those who lost out as a result of compromises over ‘Freeview Lite’, again we have seen the Government sit by as people in the Borders miss out on services freely available in other parts of the country.
‘In my letter to the Secretary of State, I have made it clear that the attitude of his department towards Digital Switchover in the Borders is unacceptable, and frankly insulting to those who lost out when the analogue signal was switched off at the end of last year.
‘Since the retune process began, my office has been inundated with complaints from constituents who have lost additional channels from their already limited selection. The Government must ensure that funds are made available to end the two-tier approach that has condemned half of the Borders to a second class television service’.
http://www.politics.co.uk/mps/press-releases/party-politics/liberal-democrats/moore-blasts-minister-on-borders-freeview-failings-$1331401.htm
