Arqiva

Councillor Alan Broadhurst who represents Chandler’s Ford on Eastleigh Borough Council, is 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. Councillor Broadhurst, has backed a campaign to protect these services which are currently delivered through Midhurst 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 Winchester.

New polling, conducted on behalf of the campaign, shows 68% of people in Winchester and Chandler’s Ford Constituency, support the continued provision of free TV and radio services and want MPs like Steve Brine 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,

Councillor Alan Broadhurst (Chandler’s Ford Ward), said: “As I am in the 70+ age group I do feel that Digital Terrestrial TV is an essential service. I have fibre broadband and at peak times when many of my neighbours are using streaming services it is impossible to watch TV online as it simply freezes! I live in an urban area within 0.5 mile of the exchange.

“There are still many rural areas around the UK that simply do not have a good, fast and reliable internet connection.”

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 people, found that:

68% support the continued provision of free TV and radio services

82% listen to radio through a radio set every month and 63% consider its continued provision essential or important

89% watch TV via Freeview every month, and 66% consider its continued provision essential or important.

ENDS

Notes to Editors