An online petition calling on the UK Government to “guarantee access to broadcast TV and aerial radio beyond 2040” has passed the 10,000 signature threshold and is due an official response. The petition argues that protecting Freeview will “prevent millions of older people and other vulnerable groups, at risk of loneliness and depression, from being excluded from public information and entertainment”.
Digital terrestrial television (DTT), more commonly known as Freeview, is universally available across the UK and, according to BARB research in 2020, regularly watched on around 35 millions TV sets. It does not need a superfast broadband connection and there is no additional monthly subscription cost, however, aerial signals are only guaranteed until the early 2040s.
The ‘Broadcast 2040+ campaign’ to safeguard digital terrestrial TV and radio launched last summer following new research by Ipsos which showed that nine in 10 people (90%) across Great Britain want to see continued support for these services.
