[INTERACTIVE WHITE PAPER] Interactive TV Advertising: A Marketer’s Guide

The UK government’s ambition to shut down analogue TV transmission between 2006 – 2010 was met with scepticism by many broadcasters. In recent months officials have acknowledged that 2006 is not a possibility, but they remain determined to push for 2010. (This would allow the Government to auction off the transmission bandwidth for third generation mobile communications.) Many feel that even 2010 is an unrealistic target, especially if one considers the significance of:
- The uncertainty surrounding ITV Digital and the future of digital terrestrial business models.
- The vast number of households with more than one television i.e. even if a household subscribes to digital TV, it may still contain several analogue sets and see no compelling reason to replace them.
- The lack of continued subsidies and price reductions from digital TV platforms

Is the Government naïve about shutting down analogue transmission by 2010? After such a positive start, who (if anyone) is to blame for the slowdown of digital TV in the UK?