UK boss to head local digital TV switchover

[Ext User(Bob Bain)]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22050972-1702,00.html

UK boss to head local digital TV switchover

July 10, 2007

THE man leading Britain's conversion to digital television has been
appointed to do the same job in Australia.

Andrew Townend has been appointed executive director of Digital
Australia, a body being set up by the Federal Government to hasten
take-up of the technology.

Mr Townend has since 2005 been chief operating officer of Digital UK,
which is coordinating the phasing out of analogue television in
Britain.

"His background in broadcasting and experience as a leader of the
digital switchover process in the United Kingdom will be invaluable to
Australia's achievement of digital switchover," Federal Communications
Minister Helen Coonan said.

Australia is scheduled to permanently change from analogue to digital
television from 2010-12.

The technology was introduced in 2001 but the scheduled 2008 shutdown
of analogue TV was postponed because of the slow take-up.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority reported in May that
30 per cent of households had switched to digital TV.

In Britain, the figure is 46 per cent.

Mr Townend's Sydney-based appointment begins next month.

[Ext User(Peelah Ben Arhna)]

Bob Bain wrote...


>UK boss to head local digital TV switchover

Naturally

>Mr Townend has since 2005 been chief operating officer of Digital UK,
>which is coordinating the phasing out of analogue television in
>Britain.

>In Britain, the figure is 46 per cent.

So, when's the UK supposed to turn its analog system off? The other 52%,
or the majority of FTA viewers wanna get a hurry up, then if they don't
want to miss out on Coronation Street, hey?

Either way, it seems that Townshend hasn't even achieved a 50 percent
success rate, has he?

>Mr Townend's Sydney-based appointment

Naturally....
--
I must confess, I was born at a very early age. - Groucho Marx