Written statement made by Shaun Woodward (Labour) on Monday, 16 October 2006 in the House of Commons, on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Switchover Dates (Wales, West Country and Granada)

This statement is issued in conjunction with the Minister for Industry and the Regions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Margaret Hodge). In September 2005, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport announced that the UK would switch over to fully digital TV broadcasting between 2008 and 2012. This will bring enormous benefits to all viewers, the broadcasting industries, the creative industries and the UK economy. Today Digital UK, the independent body leading digital switchover, announces the detailed switchover dates for the Wales, West Country and Granada TV regions. The timetable for these regions follows below, together with the timetable for the Border TV region that was announced in July 2006. These are the calendar quarters during which each main transmitter (and the many associated relay stations that carry its signal) will cease broadcasting analogue television, and begin transmitting a boosted digital signal. This will make digital TV through an aerial available to virtually all homes in each region. Maps showing the location of transmitters in the Border, West Country, Wales and Granada TV region have been placed in the Library. Border

Timing	Main transmitter to switch (with associated relays)
Q4 2008	Selkirk, serving Scottish Borders
Q2 2009	Caldbeck, serving Cumbria, Dumfries & Galloway and the Isle of Man

Note: the Cumbrian town of Whitehaven and its surrounding area will lead out switchover in October 2007. West Country

Timing	Main transmitter to switch (with associated relays)
Q2 2009	Beacon Hill, serving south Devon
	Stockland Hill, serving south-west Somerset, parts of west Dorset and south-east Devon, including Exeter
Q3 2009	Huntshaw Cross, serving north Devon
	Redruth, serving west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
	Caradon Hill, serving much of Cornwall and Devon, including Plymouth

Wales

Timing	Main transmitter to switch (with associated relays)
Q3 2009	Preseli, serving south-west Wales
	Carmel, serving south Wales
Q4 2009	Llandonna, serving north-west Wales, including Anglesey
	Moel-Y-Parc, serving north-east Wales
Q1 2010	Blaenplwyf, serving west and central Wales
	Long Mountain, serving east-central Wales
	Wenvoe, serving south-east Wales, including Cardiff

Granada

Timing	Main transmitter to switch (with associated relays)
Q4 2009	The entire Granada region will switch to digital in this quarter, when the Winter Hill transmitter and its associated relays—serving Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, are converted.

Further information on switchover can be found at www.digitaluk.co.uk and www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk

Secondary information

Type: Written statement
Reference: 450 c39-40WS
Session: 2005-06
Subjects: Digital broadcasting Granada Television Wales Television South West Scottish Borders
Link: View this Written statement on www.publications.parliament.uk

Switchover Dates (Wales, West Country and Granada)

Secondary information

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