HdforAll seeks Freeview HD concessions

[BGonaSTICK]

The HDforAll campaign, formed by a coalition made up of TV manufacturers, retailers and public service broadcasters (PSBs), is aiming to secure the future of free-to-view high definition (HD) television programming on the UK digital terrestrial television platform (known as Freeview).

The campaign is concerned that plans by UK comms regulator Ofcom to auction all the spectrum released by digital switchover could jeopardise, for a generation, the only opportunity to launch a range of HD channels on Freeview. It would risk dividing viewers into the ‘HD haves’ and the ‘HD have nots’, according to their ability to pay for subscription television.

Ofcom has suggested that the PSBs could launch HD services using their existing spectrum capacity. According to the campaign, this would not be technically feasible without sacrificing a number of existing services on the Freeview platform, thereby undermining the service viewers currently enjoy on Freeview.

There is no obvious way in which the UK PSBs providing free to air television channels could recoup the costs associated with an auction’ the campaign contends. They are thus at a disadvantage in competing with mobile operators and others, when those commercial operators can afford to pay a premium for spectrum in the knowledge that they can recoup the costs by providing a premium service to their customers.

HdforAll is supported by manufacturers and retailers of HD televisions including DSGI, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba and the public service broadcasters (BBC, ITV, Channel 4 & Five).