 North Yorkshire will be switching to digital in two stages
The countdown has begun for North Yorkshire's digital TV switchover, with the date of the analogue switch-off announced as September 2011. Digital UK, the organisation leading the change, says the analogue channels will be turned off in two stages. The date when you switch depends on which transmitter you receive your television pictures from. Bill Haworth from Digital UK warns: "If you haven't done anything with your set by that date, you won't get a signal." Switched off All five analogue TV channels will have been switched off by the end of 21 September 2011, and the Freeview digital service will then be boosted to reach virtually all households in the Yorkshire TV region. Bill Haworth, Digital UK's assistant regional manager for Yorkshire, says the only thing people need to do before the switchover is make sure their TV has been converted to receive digital channels. He says: "It does not mean you have to buy a new television. Any TV will convert, even an old black and white set or one without a SCART connection. "We've yet to find one that won't, so unless you particularly want to buy a flat screen TV with the digital converter already inside then you don't have to." Two stages In North Yorkshire, viewers who receive their television pictures from the Emley Moor transmitter will start to switch on September 7 2011 when BBC TWO will go digital. All the remaining analogue channels will switch to digital on September 21 2011. Viewers on the east coast, who receive their pictures from the Oliver's Mount transmitter, will see BBC TWO go digital on August 3 and the remaining analogue channels will be switched on August 17 2011. The Bilsdale Transmitter is part of the Tyne Tees television region and will not switch to digital until 2012. Important message  The Digital Switchover Help Scheme will offer practical help to people |
For those people who have still not got digital television in their homes, Bill Haworth says it is nothing to worry about. He explains: "People with satellite and cable are already converted and you won't need to re-tune your TV. "The important message for people with Freeview boxes or who are watching TV through an aerial is that they will need to re-tune on those two dates. "It is a fairly simple process." In order to make sure the switchover message gets across loud and clear, Digital UK has appointed what's called a 'digital poet' - Yorkshire's very own Bard of Barnsley Ian McMillan. Ian is preparing to dedicate a series of switchover sonnets to Yorkshire and Lincolnshire as the region counts down to the big day. Local TV themes will be immortalised in his poems and viewers will be invited to lend Ian a hand capturing what they love about television. Ian says: "I'm looking forward to being the world's first digital switchover bard. "I hope I'll help people not to wander lonely when the analogue signal gets switched off - and I'm looking forward to finding rhymes for 'digital'." Extra help Bill Haworth says anyone who is confused about what to do next will be able to get all the information they need from various sources. He says: "We're putting lots of advertising out about how to re-tune. We've got leaflets and advice lines. "Importantly, we've also got extra help for older people and people with disabilities." And John Askew, Digital UK's regional manager for Yorkshire, says he hopes TV viewers will remember why the switchover is taking place. He says: "Today's announcement paves the way for a new era in broadcasting for viewers in Yorkshire. "We're preparing for the end of the analogue TV era and the dawn of a fully digital age in which everyone can enjoy extra choice." |