Dear All, members of the list might be interest in the call for evidence above recently released by the House of Lords in the ongoing debate on digital switchover of television and radio. Best Regards, Salvo ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SELECT COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS CALL FOR EVIDENCE Digital switchover of television and radio The House of Lords Select Committee on Communications is announcing today a short inquiry into the progress of, and prospects for, digital switchover of both television and radio in the United Kingdom. The Digital Switchover Programme will replace the UK’s existing analogue television network with a fully digital television network, region by region, between 2008 and 2012. As the programme reaches its half way point, the inquiry will make a brief interim assessment of: • the strengths and weaknesses of the switchover process as they have emerged in the regions which have already switched over; • the effectiveness of the Digital Switchover Help Scheme and the public communications campaign. The Digital Switchover Programme applies only to television. The arrangements for radio are still being developed. The Government does not yet have a timetable, though it has said that the switchover date will be announced two years in advance. The inquiry will consider the issues to be resolved, including: • the current state of the Government’s plans for switchover to digital radio; • the outstanding technical issues, including the appropriateness of DAB as the digital radio standard; • the views of UK broadcasters, consumers, and radio interest groups. The Committee would welcome written evidence on any of these issues. 8 January 2010 GUIDANCE FOR THOSE SUBMITTING WRITTEN EVIDENCE Submissions should be sent to: Ralph Publicover Select Committee on Communications House of Lords London SW1A 0PW Tel 020 7219 8662 Fax 020 7219 4931 and preferably also as an email attachment to: [log in to unmask] The deadline for submitting written evidence is 1 February 2010. Please ensure that you include relevant contact details. Evidence should be attributed and dated, with a note of your name and position, and should state whether it is submitted on an individual or corporate basis. Short submissions of 6 pages or fewer are preferred; longer submissions should include a summary. Evidence sent as hard copy should be clearly printed or typed on single sides of A4 paper, unstapled. Paragraphs should be numbered. If drawings or charts are included, we ask that these are black-and-white and of camera-ready quality. Evidence becomes the property of the Committee, and may be printed or circulated by the Committee. You may publish your evidence yourself, but in doing so you should indicate that it was prepared for the Committee. The Committee may invite some of those who submit written evidence to give oral evidence, usually in public at Westminster. Transcripts will be published. You can follow the inquiry via the Committee web pages, accessed from http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/communications.cfm This is a public call for evidence. Please bring it to the attention of other groups and individuals who may not have received a copy direct.