Town leads UK digital TV switchover

12 April 2012

A community has become the first in the UK to lose one of its analogue television channels.

Around 25,000 households in the town of Whitehaven and surrounding borough of Copeland in Cumbria had analogue BBC Two switched off shortly after 2am on Wednesday.

The remaining analogue channels will be switched off in four weeks, to be replaced by digital television.

People will be able to get 18 digital channels, including BBC News 24, FilmFour and Digital Teletext. Some households will receive extra channels depending on the area in which they live.

Digital UK is the body set up by broadcasters to implement digital switchover.

A spokesman confirmed the BBC2 analogue signal had been switched off as planned shortly after 2am.

Chief executive Ford Ennals said the change was beneficial and affordable.

"There is the biggest benefit for Whitehaven because they haven't been able to get digital television. As of today, for the first time, they'll be getting a digital signal.

"They'll be getting a set of digital channels and they'll be able to get Channel Five which they haven't historically got.

"So the people here are very excited about it and they've got real benefits."

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