Freeview HDTV petition

[Davei]

I thought visitors to this forum might be interested in a petition started by Kieran Kunhya lobbying the UK Government to allocate part of the terrestrial digital TV spectrum to HD. I understand that, at present, there is little or no provision planned for HDTV on the terrestrial platform.

The petitions states: 'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to force Ofcom to allocate the unused radio spectrum after the analogue switchover to HDTV services.'

You can sign up by visiting _http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/openhdtv/

The deadline is 21 February.

[BlackHawk]

Methinks that a large proportion of the population are fed up with the changes in TV and radio distribution in the UK.
They see the whole exercise, analogue to digital to HDTV and FM to DAB, as an excuse by the government, manufacturers and suppiers to dip their greedy sticky fingers into the viewers/listeners pockets and rip them off even further.
By changing the system, people have to buy additional equipment, the government get more income from VAT. Which they can then squander on unwanted wars, more foreign aid and illegal emigrants.
More "stealth taxation" from Gordon Brown.
BH

[BGonaSTICK]

Now this is an interesting topic.

Firstly, the petition sounds good - thanks for posting it Davei. I'll certainly vote for it, though I'm not at all hopeful that anything will come of it.

Firstly, the government delegate these sort of decisions to Ofcom, so I doubt that they will then revisit the whole discussion to make what would be a massive imposition on them.

Secondly, whilst there may eventually be enough public pressure and expectation to force the provision of minimal HD services on terrestrial, there is no way that the whole frequency spectrum will be given over to HD.

Why?

Well that brings me onto BlackHawks points.

Money.

The spectrum will be auctioned off. Simple as that. Spectrum slices will go to the highest bidder.

For some reason, Ofcom and the government seem to think that they 'own' the radio frequencies?!?! :roflmao:

They'll be wanting me to pay a TV tax soon!

The auction will be open to bidders from various backgrounds, not just traditional TV and radio. I guess that means that Sky will buy it all, unless Sir Richard sticks his hand in his pocket...

[BlackHawk]

Yes, I am aware that the government will sell off lumps of the  spectrum to the highest bidders.
My post was a reiteration of comments made to me by friends, relatives and neighbours.
These people are quite happy to change their equipment at their convenience, as and when they wish to do so. They are not happy when it is forced upon them. They see the introduction of DAB radio, Digital and High Def TV as money making exercises  by manufacturers, suppliers and goverment, and they resent it.
As an aside, I did see recently that as we breathe out carbon dioxide, there will soon be an environmental tax on that activity :

[barr6868]

I concur on all areas that :quote: the gov. are really only interested in how much it's going to make them!
I think that standartd TV (including freeview)should be free for everybody. They make enough from advertising to support this IMO.
I also think that they don't give a damn what the people of UK think in any areas when they want to introduce a tax. RE - statements from the traffic dept. (1.3 million UK drivers sign a petition to say that they don't want toll roads and 24/7 car usage monitoring)
:quote: Your all being misled, we're going to introduce it anyway.

I'm :-X of the lot of them!