Independent TV network Great, owned by Narrative Entertainment UK, has joined the Broadcast 2040+ campaign, a coalition committed to securing a long-term future for free-to-air broadcast TV and radio.

As some in the TV sector advocate for a switch-off, Great says it is joining with the Broadcast 2040+ campaign “to push for safeguarding this crucial service into the 2040s, ensuring that its audiences continue to have access to TV no matter the technology they have in their homes”.

Barb data shows 93 per cent of those 55 and over watch broadcast TV every week, and Great’s recent report, The Upper Third, shows that the majority appreciate terrestrial TV because it is free, doesn’t require any kind of login or password, and offers vital companionship for viewers across the UK.

The UK government is actively reviewing the future of TV distribution through a ministerial forum to make a decision on whether to renew the licences supporting terrestrial TV beyond 2034. MPs recently convened to defend the importance of terrestrial TV led by the Rt Hon. David Mundell, MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale.

Narrative Entertainment’s Great Network offers four free-to-air channels of diverse programming, and is watched by a total audience of 18 million regular viewers across all four nations of the UK.

This brings the total number of organisations in the coalition to 38 with other members including: Age UK, the Digital Poverty Alliance, Silver Voices, the Rural Services Network, the Voice of the Listener and Viewer, and Arqiva.

Kate Gartland, Marketing Director at Great!, commented: “TV plays such an important role in everyday life. It’s company, it’s nostalgia, it’s comic relief. And it’s vital that we don’t jeopardise that. This isn’t about being scared of technology changes – we know our audiences well, and we know that they’re very comfortable with tech. But that doesn’t mean that they all have the latest TV, a reliable high-speed internet connection, and the means to suddenly begin paying for something they’ve known and loved, free, their entire lives. We want to see terrestrial TV backed for as long as possible.”

A representative of the Broadcast 2040+ campaign added: “Great! is committed to ensuring viewers continue to access a rich and diverse range of well-loved content simply and without additional costs – a goal that the Broadcast 2040+ campaign shares. We are united in our belief that the future of terrestrial TV will not and should not end in 2034, and that this vital service must continue to serve audiences across the UK into the 2040s.”

Other posts by :

1. Fitch downgrades DirecTV debt
2. BBC: You’ll miss me when I’m gone
3. Some new US Starlink subs face $1,000 start-up fee
4. Project Kuiper beating OneWeb
5. OQ Tech gets Luxembourg 5G-by-Sat concession
6. Roskosmos: Heads roll, launch project scrapped
7. MDA under pressure over satellite order
8. SES backs C-band action from FCC
9. Congested orbits mean high risks of debris

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, DTT/DSO, FTA

Tags: Broadcast 2040+, fta, great