Digital Switchover in West Wales

There is under a month to go until the first stage of switchover for the Kilvey Hill, Preseli and Carmel transmitter groups, serving the Swansea area; south-west Wales; and parts of south and central Wales respectively, in the Wales TV region. We are now commencing the final wave of our communications to ensure viewers know when switchover is happening and what to do.

As you know, switchover is a two-stage process:
• Switchover begins at the Kilvey Hill transmitter group, serving 132,000 households, on Wednesday, 12 August 2009 and ends on Wednesday, 9 September 2009
• Switchover begins at the Preseli transmitter group, serving 83,000 households, on Wednesday, 19 August 2009 finishing on Wednesday, 16 September 2009.
• Switchover begins at the Carmel transmitter group, serving 110,000 households, on Wednesday, 26 August 2009 finishing on Wednesday, 23 September 2009.

Switchover will make Freeview available from all 55 relay transmitters for the first time. They carry analogue TV now, but will start broadcasting up to 20 of the most watched Freeview channels at switchover. Once complete, Freeview coverage across the Wales will have been extended from 63 per cent to 98 per cent of households.
On-screen messaging is resuming to remind analogue viewers that they must convert to digital and local advertising will continue. At the two stages of switchover there will be 12 advice points managed by local charities where people can drop in for face-to-face help, as follows:

• Kilvey Hill: Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Burry Port
• Preseli : Haverfordwest, Cardigan, Tenby, Carmarthen
• Carmel : Carmarthen, Llanelli, Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells.

There will also be three roadshows at both stages of switchover in Swansea, Haverfordwest and Carmarthen.
Viewers who already have digital TV or who use Freeview, Top Up TV or BT Vision boxes will need to retune their equipment at both stages of switchover.

As always, if there is any matter that I can help you with concerning switchover, then please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to discuss it with you.

Elinor Phillips

Wales Team Co-ordinator


PS. Please note: All Freeview, Top Up TV and BT Vision viewers in Wales will need also to retune their equipment on 9 September in order to continue receiving S4C.


Digital UK
c/a: S4C l Parc Ty Glas l Llanisien/Llanishen l
Caerdydd/Cardiff l CF14 5DU
e: wales@digitaluk.co.uk
g/w: www.digitaluk.co.uk


Digital TV switchover happens in Wales in 2009 and 2010, starting in west Wales on 12 August this year. Visit our postcode checker - www.digitaluk.co.uk - to find out when you switch, or ring our helpline - 08456 50 50 50.b