Arqiva

Community leaders in Cheltenham are backing a campaign to protect TV and radio services in the area from the threat of closure.

Many people are not aware that, on current plans, TV received through an aerial (Freeview) and broadcast radio are not guaranteed long term. Local community leaders including the chair of Gloucestershire Women’s Institute and Cheltenham Borough Council cabinet member for economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing, have backed a campaign to protect these services which are currently delivered through Ridge Hill mast.

Broadcast 2040+ is a new campaign, which aims to protect vital TV and radio services for everyone – including the elderly and vulnerable people that rely on them the most – until 2040 and beyond.

Next year, an international conference will decide whether to safeguard the radiofrequency spectrum used to deliver these services. The campaign calls on the UK Government to ensure that the international decision does not negatively impact the services relied on by the people of Cheltenham.

New polling, conducted on behalf of the campaign, shows 71% of people in Cheltenham, support the continued provision of free TV and radio services and want Alex Chalk MP, to back it too.

Freeview TV is especially important for older and vulnerable people, many of whom don’t understand or can’t afford services like Sky, Virgin or Netflix.

Broadcast 2040+ is a coalition of organisations across the UK, including Age UK, Silver Voices, the Rural Services Network and broadcast infrastructure company, Arqiva.

Local community leaders, chair of Gloucestershire Women’s Institute and Cheltenham Borough Council cabinet member for economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing, have spoken out about the importance of Freeview TV to people in the area.

Max Wilkinson, Cheltenham Borough Council cabinet member for economic development, culture, tourism and wellbeing, said: “So many people rely on freeview TV and broadcast radio to get their news and find out what’s happening in the world. Older people, people on low incomes and people living alone will be particularly concerned. We must all hope that these groups of people are protected from losing lifeline media services.”

Janice Cole, Chair of Gloucestershire Women’s Institute, said: “The television today is a very important part of people’s lives providing them with up-to-date news and entertainment. It alleviates loneliness and depression, these particularly affect people on low incomes, not just the elderly but at any age. They are generally unable to afford subscription fees for the streaming services, which may also not be available to them locally. These people depend on Freeview for their television and radio programmes. This is not going to change in the foreseeable future. We are happy to support the work of Broadcast 2040+ to protect it.”

Shuja Khan, CEO of Arqiva and member of the Broadcast 2040+ coalition, said:

“Broadcast TV and radio are part of the daily routine of tens of millions of people across the UK – nine out of ten adults listen to radio at least once a week and nearly half the households in the UK access television through an aerial.

“These services bind us together as a people, whether it is through national moments that matter like the Queen’s State Funeral and Jubilee or celebrating national success like the Women’s Euro Final.

“Now is a critical moment to guarantee them for the long-term. The Government is only committed to these services until the early 2030s. On questions of critical national infrastructure, that is closer than it seems.”

Other backers of the campaign nationally include Children’s Media Foundation, British Broadcasting Challenge and Voice of the Listener and Viewer.

Polling by Strand Partners and broadcast infrastructure company Arqiva, of more than 400 local people, found that:

71% support the continued provision of free TV and radio services

85% listen to radio through a radio set every month and 63% consider its continued provision essential or important

83% watch TV via Freeview every month, and 65% consider its continued provision essential or important.

ENDS

Notes to Editors