The media minister has committed to the future of digital terrestrial television until 2034.
In a speech to the Digital Television Group summit in London, Julia Lopez said it was clear that IPTV was going to be a big part of how we get our television in the future with an estimated 99% of TVs sold next year being internet-enabled.
“As Minister for Digital Infrastructure, I’ve been doing everything I can to ensure that both our fixed and mobile networks are ready for those extra demands that this change will make on them.
“Free to view television, however delivered, is a really important part of our television landscape. We in Government want to encourage the sector to keep embracing innovation and technological development, but we’re not going to pull the rug from under the devoted audiences of Freeview channels. That’s why we’ve committed to the future of DTT until 2034.”
Lopez quoted figures showing that in the five years from 2017, the reach of broadcast TV fell from 91% to 79%, while the number of households subscribing to a video-on-demand service more than doubled.
On Thursday, in a report prepared for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ofcom warned that changing audiences were putting the DTT model under threat.
Lopez said her department had also been working to identify and fill the emerging evidence gaps, by commissioning independent research on this topic.
However, it was not just a simple dichotomy between DTT and IPTV, but the potential to enable audiences to choose between multiple competing platforms, just as they can now.
“It’s clear we need to do more to understand what drives viewers’ decisions, and how we can help everyone to take advantage of these new technologies. Giving them not just the tools they need, but a compelling reason to make the leap. And supporting them if they don’t want to,” she said.
An audience engagement programme is being launched and there will also be a new stakeholder forum.
