HD for All branded ’silly’ by Sky
Thursday, July 5th, 2007debate on the future of Freeview goes a bit year 7
Martin Le Jeune, public affairs head honcho for Sky, has been criticised this week for calling the HD for All campaign a “genuinely silly […] shabby alliance between a group of public service broadcasters who should know better [and] vendors who sell expensive product.”
The comments were made in front of a panel for ministers, broadcasters, regulators and manufacturers who convened at Westminster yesterday to discuss the future of the bandwidth which will become available after the full shutdown of the old signal.
The HD for All group have been lobbying Ofcom to make sure that a certain percentage of broadcasting bandwidth earmarked for HD is set aside for terrestrial TV channels before the rest is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Sky, who were the first to introduce HD to UK viewers, naturally don’t want technology they’ve invested heavily in to be so readily available on a terrestrial platform – a profound dislike of the PSB system runs through the Sky hierarchy like red letters through a stick of Brighton rock.
Ofcom currently have no plans to open up bids for the entire HD spectrum and end years of close relationship with the PSB broadcasters and the government, but they have also not said that it isn’t on the cards. With the switchover not due to be completed until 2012, it’s still early days to speculate on what the official decision will be.
July 13th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Freeview is where its at.
If Freeview has HD, then more people will be able to have access to it, and will more likely upgrade to take advantage.
If all the bandwidth is sold to Sky, then they will slap a premium on it, and the majority of the public won’t even think about it.
I do like HD but it’s not worth any premium over buying the HDTV.
September 5th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Great, so I’ll only be able to watch multiple ad breaks in between repeat episodes of The Simpsons in HD. Big frickin’ deal.