BBC's HDTV Channel Gets The Green Light

Ofcom and the BBC Trust Unit have decided that an HDTV channel from the BBC would be of high value to society and therefore have provisionally approved the proposals. A four week period of public consultation now starts which means we all have to say what a great idea it is!

Diane Coyle, BBC Trustee and Chair of the Public Value Test Steering Group, said: "We would like to hear from as many members of the public and stakeholders as possible before reaching our final decision. We are particularly interested in the public's view about the options for an HD channel on Freeview. Would licence fee payers prefer the BBC to launch a four-hour service immediately, before a nine-hour service is possible because of spectrum capacity, even if that means having to buy two set-top boxes within a very short period of time?"

Final decisions are to be made by November 21 and so the channel could launch soon after. The proposals cover all main transmission formats including satellite/cable/freeview/web/IPTV. The only fly in the ointment is that for HD to be broadcast on a freeview service in the short term it would be on a four hours overnight service that you would have to record.

The whole spectrum debate is still to be decided so if, and that's a big if, HD gets the spectrum it wants then the BBC's HD channel would then transmit the nine hours it has planned. This would mean consumers buying two lots of STBs which is probably a non-starter for most.

The main proposal is for a nine hour service from 15.00 to Midnight and will not be a simulcast but be a 'cherry picking' of programmes - not unlike the test channel that is already on.

More details here