By Grant Smith

SOME DUNDEE TV viewers who cannot receive terrestrial digital broadcasts might be able to get the full Freeview service in 2010—but they may need new aerials pointed in a different direction to do it.

About 35,000 people in the city presently take the signal from the transmitter near the Fife end of the Tay Road Bridge. This does not carry Freeview now and will offer only a restricted service after the digital switchover.

However, chairman of TV watchdog Ofcom Lord Currie has offered a glimmer of hope to some residents in a letter responding to concerns raised by Lord Provost John Letford.

Lord Currie explained the main Angus transmitter, near Tealing, will have its power output increased in 2010. That should mean some parts of the city that cannot receive its signals now should be able to do so.

This transmitter already carries the full Freeview service.

The issue of TV reception has also been taken up by Councillor Fraser Macpherson who wrote to the govern- ment to explain the disappointment many people felt at the second-class service they were being offered.

He said he was disappointed by the response he received which effectively washed ministers’ hands of the problem and passed the buck to the TV companies that run the Freeview multiplexes or bundles of channels.

Culture and media secretary Andy Burnham said, “The government has committed to ensuring that terrestrial analogue broadcasting signals are maintained until everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting (PSB) channels in analogue can receive them on digital systems.

“After digital switchover 98.5% of UK households should have access to the three PSB multiplexes carrying these channels. However, there are also three other commercial multiplexes.

“After switchover these multiplexes should be available to around 90% of UK households. Extending coverage beyond 90% is a commercial matter in this case and the decision to do this lies with the multiplex operators.”

Councillor Macpherson said this meant there would be two classes of viewer—those who got all the channels and those who only got some.

“The digital switchover gives a unique opportunity to extend terrestrial television choice for people who don’t have satellite or cable TV,” he said.

“For many like those in much of the west end, Charleston and parts of Broughty Ferry, the city centre and Craigiebank who are served by a ‘relay’ rather than a main transmitter, this choice of stations will be much reduced.”