Broadcast News
According to "The Voice of the Listener and Viewer" (VLVR), the organisation run by Jocelyn Hay to give us, the listeners and viewers, a real say in broadcasting matters, more and more homes are signing up to receive their television services via broad - band cable. The number of homes connected in January was 2,374,000; it must be 2,500,000 by now.
BBC Digital Radio
The BBC has been broadcasting in digital form for quite some time now though there are few receivers in the hands of the public which can receive the transmissions. When they do arrive some will have TV-like screens on which pictures of the speakers can be shown or, perhaps, illustrations of the subjects, or blocks of text. Somehow I am not enthusiastic about this development. Radio is for listening to when I am doing the ironing, not for looking at. However, the service is expanding and BBC digital radio broadcasts can now reach 60% of the UK population via a network of 27 transmitters. All the experts say that the quality of reception will be much improved and that I am keen to experience.
That famous clockwork radio has appeared clad in a see-through plastic case. You may not be able to find it on retailers shelves as it is completely transparent.
Digital TV Consultation
The Government is consulting the public on the introduction of Digital TV. The Government's Culture Department and the Radiocommunications Agency commissioned a report from the National Economic Research Associates and Smith System Engineering which analysed the conditions for digital take-up, considers how analogue TV could be phased out and set out choices for government and industry action. The Government now seeks views on the report's conclusions from the public and the broadcasting industry. Copies of the consultation document and the NERA/Smith report are available on the Web Sites of the Radiocommunications agency [http://www.open.gov.uk/radiocom/rahome/.htm] and the Department of Culture [http://www.culture.gov.uk/NERA.HTM]. A response is requested by September 5th.
NfCG can visit either of these sites and obtain the documents but exactly how members of the public who have no access to websites are expected to give their views is not clear to the Editor at the moment. Also there does seem to be a need for some rationalisation of website addresses, they seem to be becoming more and more complicated and the likelihood of error when copying them out increases all the time.
According to an ITV programme at the end of May, Digital TV via a satellite link will be available by the time you read this copy of NfCG NEWS and terrestrial programmes by Christmas, no doubt persuading many of us to convert our TV sets to receive them, by buying a set top converter box as Christmas presents to ourselves. The cost of this box is likely to be subsidised by programme providers (to about £200) for those who sign up for a service. The real cost will probably be double this.
BBC On-Line Services Consultation.
On a parallel consultation, for BBC ON-LINE SERVICES, NfCG has received a booklet containing a clear and concise explanation about the services the BBC proposes to provide and, in some cases, already provides and a questionnaire to fill in to make our views known. ON-LINE SERVICES are services provided via the Internet, about which Sir Christopher Bland Chairman of the BBC says:
" after radio and television, the Internet is becoming the third broadcasting medium, which is why I believe it is right that the BBC is at the fore front of this new technology, guaranteeing - as we have always sought to do - diversity, quality and access for all".
Access for all is still a long way off. At the moment the way for a household to be connected to the Internet is via a home computer and a modem. While home connections are rising rapidly it is still a minority activity. One hears about the next but one generation of TV sets which will have a built in Internet connection and a touch sensitive screen or perhaps voice activated controls, or both; anything but a keyboard. These are probably two years away so the BBC aim of access for all will take a while to achieve.
Web TV Breakthrough
Having said that, there are already on the market set top boxes for your television which will allow you to access the Internet. The experts agree with Sir Christopher Bland, saying that 'Net TV' is the next big step in the communications revolution and this seems obvious. These boxes are expensive (£500+) but it is reasonable to expect that they will reduce in price as time goes on. However they really are for the very enthusiastic because, as has been said already, Net TVs, with all the works inside, will be with us in due course, just as Digital TV receivers with all the works inside will be available soon and, no doubt, sets that incorporate both these revolutions. However "access for all" still seems a way off because any connection to the Internet carries a cost and there is then the telephone bill to be paid. Perhaps "access for all who can afford it" would be a more realistic slogan for the BBC to adopt.
John Brown
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