Analogue Switchoff - Public Awareness & Help Scheme

The Cush · 03-10-2010 5:24pm

jamescc wrote: »

i agree with that but i think that the goverement should set a price on boxes , tv's so you can not get ripped off which is what will happen.

That would only happen if the state were to supply the receivers otherwise it's a free market.

watty wrote: »

The Government plan on making €20 to €150M selling off TV spectrum.
They have mandated it.

Comreg are in a consultation process at the moment on the auction of the released 800 MHz Digital Dividend spectrum and the liberalisation of the expiring licences in the 900 MHz GSM spectrum.

For the auction they plan to set the minimum price at €25m per 2 x 5 MHz block of spectrum. Six blocks are available in the released tv spectrum, so a minimum of €150m is expected. The licences will run from early 2013 to 2030.

Sam Russell · 03-10-2010 5:29pm

Is there any move on the MMDS licences, they should be up soon, particularly the analogue ones?

watty · 03-10-2010 5:36pm

Of course total WASTE to split it up at all.
Should be a single block

The Cush · 03-10-2010 5:42pm

Sam Russell wrote: »

Is there any move on the MMDS licences, they should be up soon, particularly the analogue ones?

Review completed earlier this year, consultation due soon. Analogue MMDS should have ended a long time ago and 4 channels cleared but in 2003/04 the spectrum use requirement was changed from satellite to terrestrial use so I guess there was no big push to shutdown analogue. Might happen this time if the amount of spectrum allocated to MMDS is reduced.

The Cush · 03-10-2010 6:09pm

watty wrote: »

Of course total WASTE to split it up at all.
Should be a single block

A single bidder could acquire a maximum 20 of the available 30 MHz Digital Dividend spectrum. Twenty will be maximum available to any bidder in the sub 1 GHz band which will allow a minimum 4 operators access the 800/900 MHz bands. This is to ensure max competition between bidders for the spectrum.

watty · 04-10-2010 12:30am

Warning Rant

Yes I know, and it's madness. Not how to have good infrastructure. If there was one Wholesale 3G/HSPA (single RAN), and 3, O2, Vodafone and Meteor just retailers the speed on Mobile internet would be x2 to x4 and much narrower spread of speed (i.e. no-one much on more than 5Mbps. but no one much below 0.5 to 1M, rather than many on 0.05 to 1Mbps).

The Thacherite era belief that a certain number of vendors sharing the pie will be better for the Consumer.
This is why we have high priced Electricity. To encourage new companies to come in and sell it. The Energy regulator won't let ESB reduce price. They want "Competition"

Sam Russell · 04-10-2010 9:28am

watty wrote: »

Warning Rant

The Energy regulator won't let ESB reduce price. They want "Competition"

I agree entirely. ESB had to raise their prices to enable competition. It is EU policy to privatise as many public services as possible to generate 'competition'.

Why don't the Government try and sell off a few of the main transmitters to a private company and then we will have competition on DTT and we will have a cheaper, more efficient service.

watty · 04-10-2010 10:06am

We wouldn't. Such a scheme would drive up costs, cause problems and add no more consumer choice at all.

It doesn't work like that. You would have like eircom's Broadband.

Also it's a myth that the EU forces sell off. There are many ways to have competition (which isn't supposed to line pockets of Babcock and Brown or O'Brien but help consumer). The Government has done sell offs the way they did as it suits them, not due to EU. They could have split Eircom to Network and Retail and privatised only retail

Having a SINGLE infrastructure operator as a wholesaler is the efficient way to do it. And providing Commerical companies can re-sell it, it can be private or state owned.

The point is that Bord Gais reselling ESB is not Competition. It's a regulatory failure that has driven us from one of the more competitive priced Retail Electricity in Europe to nearly the most expensive Retail Electricity in Europe. Bord Gais "Cheaper Electricity" is dearer than the ESB would be selling it if the Regulator was more concerned with real Regulation instead of Fake Competition.

Sam Russell · 04-10-2010 11:57am

I was actually pointing out the stupidity of the current situation. Why has the government, through its agents tried to foist Paytv on us?

As for privatisation, I think it is nuts. RTENL, BordGais Networks, ESB Networks, EirGrid, and other such infrastructure offshoots of state agencies should be amalgamated into one unit, and one regulator, and run all the network infrastructure. Maybe they could co-ordinate the holes in the road that appear successively around here, as first one digs up the road, followed a few months later by another.

The Cush · 21-10-2010 3:12pm

Some questions in the Dáil yesterday regarding ASO and the funding of the DSO public information campaign. The Dept is now referring to the 31st Oct date as the start of the "trial service" in advance of the full national launch in 2011.

Broadcasting Services

56. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department will fund the public information campaign on the switch over to digital terrestrial television; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37875/10]

58. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he intends to sign an order to terminate analogue television transmission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37866/10]

63. Deputy Liz McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the way he intends to proceed with digital terrestrial television here in view of the recent negotiations for the commercial DTT contracts; the way he will ensure that commercial DTT will proceed here by the 2012 deadline; the steps he is taking to ensure a public information campaign on this issue; the way it will be funded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37773/10]

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Deputy Eamon Ryan): I propose to take Questions Nos. 56, 58 and 63 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the BAI’s commercial digital terrestrial television (DTT) process did not lead to the licensing of a commercial DTT operator. This result was disappointing and it is now expected that a commercial DTT operator will not materialise until sometime after analogue switch off in 2012. Further consideration of the potential for a commercial DTT service and of the most appropriate mechanisms for delivering this will not now be undertaken until after analogue switch off.

In the meantime, the clear responsibility of my Department, in conjunction with the RTÉ, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI), ComReg and other stakeholders, is to progress the digital switch-over process so that it meets the 2012 timeline for analogue switch off.

Accordingly, I imposed, by order, a requirement on RTÉ to make its public service DTT multiplex available to 90% of the population from 31 October 2010.

This service will be provided by RTÉ as a trial service in advance of the full national launch in 2011. I believe that this RTÉ trial service is essential as it provides time for the DTT service to fully develop whilst also providing for TV viewers to adopt the new service at the earliest opportunity.

I have also developed a steering group, chaired by my Department and comprising members from RTÉ, BAI, ComReg and other stakeholders, in order to progress the digital switch-over process. An important element of the work of this group will be ensuring that information and advice on digital switch-over is available to TV viewers in a timely and cost-effective manner. I can confirm that the issue of funding for the information campaign for Analogue Switch-off is being considered in this context.

In accordance with Government policy, it is my intention to provide for the closure of Ireland’s analogue television network by the end of 2012.

The process for providing for the closure of the analogue television network is covered by Part 8 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 and section 13 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002.

Section 139 of the Broadcasting Act 2009 deals with the issue of determining how long it would be appropriate for television broadcasting services to continue to be provided by analogue means. In coming to this determination, I am required to keep under review a range of issues, including the availability by digital means of RTÉ, TV3, and TG4.

I am also required to consider the ownership or possession in the State of equipment capable of receiving those digital services, as well as the likely future extent of availability, ownership or possession.

For the purposes of triggering the actual analogue switch off, section 13 of the Communications Regulation Act 2002 requires that I must issue a policy direction regarding the date or dates with effect from which ComReg shall revoke the RTÉ, TG4 and TV3 analogue TV licences.

It is my intention that this will be done once I have fully satisfied myself that the range of issues mentioned earlier have been addressed.

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=DAL20101020.XML&Node=2526#N2526

Sam Russell · 21-10-2010 3:53pm

That sounds like no TV3 to me!

watty · 21-10-2010 6:32pm

There was never any likelyhood of TV3 before Mid/End 2011, if not 2012. They won't even pay to be on all the relays.

This is all much as expected since they brought forward the 2nd Multiplex to now instead of After analogue Shut down.

I doubt that they will announce full launch date before they have a test signal or "Green Light" from Eutelsat on the Ka-Sat (Launch just before Christmas, maybe, listed as 20th, though mention of 21st Dec 2010). So I'd be surprised if Full Launch date is Announced as exact date before Jan/Feb. It will be be some date between April 2011 and August 2011 unless there is a setback of some nature.

SPDUB · 21-10-2010 8:37pm

An important element of the work of this group will be ensuring that information and advice on digital switch-over is available to TV viewers in a timely and cost-effective manner. I can confirm that the issue of funding for the information campaign for Analogue Switch-off is being considered in this context.

I see that the Government is still trying to foist the costs of that campaign onto RTE just like they were trying to include Boxer and OneVision in picking up the costs when they were still involved in the process .

Whoever pays for the information campaign the lack of TV3 will leave them with an interesting challenge since they won't be able to use the simplest message of switch to digital and get all the Irish channels .

Sam Russell · 21-10-2010 10:02pm

SPDUB wrote: »

I see that the Government is still trying to foist the costs of that campaign onto RTE just like they were trying to include Boxer and OneVision in picking up the costs when they were still involved in the process .

Whoever pays for the information campaign the lack of TV3 will leave them with an interesting challenge since they won't be able to use the simplest message of switch to digital and get all the Irish channels .

I suppose that the longer TV3 stay off DTT, the less of the awareness campaign they will have to pay for, so we will have to wait until the last minute.

Maybe a little poke from BAI or Comreg might persuade them it is cheaper to pay up than to have to reapply for a TV licence, and perhaps face a contest with other possible channels.

FREETV · 21-10-2010 11:55pm

Sam Russell wrote: »

I was actually pointing out the stupidity of the current situation. Why has the government, through its agents tried to foist Paytv on us?

As for privatisation, I think it is nuts. RTENL, BordGais Networks, ESB Networks, EirGrid, and other such infrastructure offshoots of state agencies should be amalgamated into one unit, and one regulator, and run all the network infrastructure. Maybe they could co-ordinate the holes in the road that appear successively around here, as first one digs up the road, followed a few months later by another.

It is because of greed, money, power, incompetence, corruption and stupidity.

Sam Russell · 22-10-2010 9:51am

FREETV wrote: »

It is because of greed, money, power, incompetence, corruption and stupidity.

You should not bring politicians into this. They are all of those things, but there is more to blame.

Every decision made by these guys tends to be the worst possible choice. For example, if the RTE based consortium had been chosen for DTT, it would have happened. If the time line for paytv had been set by the government, Boxer would have got off the pot earlier, onevision likewise. As part of the paytv scene, MMDS should have been closed down. $ky should be regulated here, at least so they pay the VAT over to our government. The sale of non-complying TV sets should have been regulated as was done by the French. Regulation ... just do not get me started.....

Rant, rant, rant. I could go on.

watty · 22-10-2010 10:00am

No. RTE/Global Liberty would not have launched. It was only to be seen to take process seriously that they put a bid. They did decline in the end.

If a time limit had been set we would just be where we are now in Jan 2009. Still no Pay DTT. The Government wanted payTV. That's why no rollout between 1999 and 2009.

Sky can't really be regulated here. In fact if Ofcom tried to regulate better Sky would have base elsewhere. Like Scandinavian Sat Stations "based" in UK!

The TV sets should be regulated. If they have any sense that should happen before February / March.

Sam Russell · 22-10-2010 11:37am

watty wrote: »

No. RTE/Global Liberty would not have launched. It was only to be seen to take process seriously that they put a bid. They did decline in the end.

Well, by the time EasyTV were offered it, the group had long since folded their tent. If they got it first, it would have happened.

Because Boxer got the gig, we have our spec written for Nordig standards. If RTE had been involved, the spec may well have been closer to the FreeviewHD spec, which may have been a good or bad thing, I do not know.

But that is all just pointless speculation, because, with Freesat launched, most of the PayTV content became FTA for the whole of Ireland. The only future for paytv would be sport based content, currently controlled by $ky. It will be interesting how long it will take for ordinary Joe to find out that he can get FTA with his $ky box by cancelling his sub, and Freesat by just plugging in a Freesat box. No one is pushing that particular wagon.

FREETV · 23-10-2010 12:50am

Sam Russell wrote: »

You should not bring politicians into this. They are all of those things, but there is more to blame.

Every decision made by these guys tends to be the worst possible choice. For example, if the RTE based consortium had been chosen for DTT, it would have happened. If the time line for paytv had been set by the government, Boxer would have got off the pot earlier, onevision likewise. As part of the paytv scene, MMDS should have been closed down. $ky should be regulated here, at least so they pay the VAT over to our government. The sale of non-complying TV sets should have been regulated as was done by the French. Regulation ... just do not get me started.....

Rant, rant, rant. I could go on.

Hear hear, pity that there aren't more people who are outspoken and express their views like you in the country. The expression stand up and be counted springs to mind. The way things are done in general in this country is a total disgrace and DTT being the topic is one of them. We should have had twenty free to air tv stations by the end of 2012 and not about ten. It is a joke. Freeview in the UK have almost one hundred stations albeit lots of crappy shopping and very soft adult channels bringing up the total. :mad:

watty · 23-10-2010 1:38pm

The UK has the EXTRA indigenous TV channels. We don't. The extra content can only be subscripton. That can't compete with FREE satellite, never mind the fact that it can't compete with Sky / UPC.

Having more than what is promised currently (free) was always a fantasy. Anyone that does extra as PayTV will go bust.

watty · 27-10-2010 11:16am

Still no updates.. This is like 6 months out of date?

http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/National+DTT/Useful+Information.htm

scath · 27-10-2010 3:45pm

watty wrote: »

Still no updates.. This is like 6 months out of date?

http://www.digitaltelevision.ie/National+DTT/Useful+Information.htm

Yea, I've made that point before to them. But 31st of October is the start date from the public point of view so we can bet that November will see the launch in some sort of fashion. I would imagine at the moment, specs, channel line-up etc is being sorted with the regulator etc at the moment and when that is all in place they should make the updates. They probably just feel, what's another few weeks. That's just my guess.

I take the view that that doesn't do either them a good impression and the enthusiast is in the dark. Companies often operate like this in the commercial environment. They keep quiet until everything is practically ready for launch and then provide pre-launch info close to the time. We've not long to go now lads so what can we do but wait and see. November should give us some idea.

SPDUB · 27-10-2010 8:42pm

scath wrote: »

I would imagine at the moment, specs, channel line-up etc is being sorted with the regulator etc at the moment and when that is all in place they should make the updates.

I would imagine they are nothing of the sort as they have already had 5 months or so to do all of that

scath wrote: »

They probably just feel, what's another few weeks. That's just my guess.

It isn't though they learned of this date a couple of months ...Wait a second They did

The Cush · 27-10-2010 9:43pm

From Sunday RTÉ are required by legislation to have the national television multiplex "operational and available free-to-air to approximately 90 per cent of the population".

They have probably met or exceeded this requirement already. I haven't used the analogue button the remote in a long time to watch a programme.

The Minister said recently

Accordingly, I imposed, by order, a requirement on RTÉ to make its public service DTT multiplex available to 90% of the population from 31 October 2010.

This service will be provided by RTÉ as a trial service in advance of the full national launch in 2011. I believe that this RTÉ trial service is essential as it provides time for the DTT service to fully develop whilst also providing for TV viewers to adopt the new service at the earliest opportunity.

and previously

We are starting the DTT service in October 2010, which is a crucial time. It will take time to test it and get it right before it is fully launched in a public way, that is, where we are pushing and selling it to the public.

watty · 27-10-2010 10:28pm

It will take time to test it and get it right before it is fully launched in a public way, that is, where we are pushing and selling it to the public.

i.e. they are NOT strongly marketing it and publicising it till the later "fully launched in a public way" Full Public Launch (Between April 2011 and December 2011 as absolute latest)

The Cush · 08-12-2010 1:47am

The Dept of Communications has allocted €3 million to Digital terrestrial television to include a public information campaign in 2011.

Also €10 million (5%) of the licence fee is to be allocated from RTÉ to TG4.

Six-One News (7/12) 0:46:10 mins

The Cush · 28-12-2010 10:38pm

Public information campaign to begin in early 2011 according to information supplied to Enda Kenny by RTÉNL.

Kenny warns of problems with digital TV coverage
Mayo Advertiser, December 24, 2010.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has received detailed information from RTÉ networks in respect of the progress being made with digital terrestrial television in County Mayo. SAORVIEW is the name for Ireland's new free-to-air digital TV service and most of the county is already covered by the SAORVIEW service. Despite the majority of the county being already covered by SAORVIEW, many remaining parts will not go live until spring 2011 and some further areas will not even pick up the new service through existing aerials.

The areas that will not pick up the normal coverage will have to rely upon a satellite service which will take even longer to establish.

As a result, special equipment will need to be purchased in order to pick-up the imminent digital TV services.

“The introduction of digital TV is something that will become an increasing concern to the public in 2011,” Deputy Kenny said. “RTÉ have informed me that they will be commencing a new communications campaign in early 2011 informing the public about digital TV. At present, it is intended to switch-off existing TV broadcast methods by the end of 2012 and the public will need to ensure they will be capable of picking-up digital TV coverage before the end of 2012.

“The details of providing coverage to the remaining areas of Mayo after the expansion in spring 2011 are not very specific,” he added. “It may involve the purchase of a new aerial solution or may even have to wait for the SAORSAT (satellite) solution. The details of either of these solutions are not provided but it has come to my attention that many people are already being caught out by buying televisions with built-in digital receivers. The problem with these TVs is that they are built for the English digital TV system which is different to the Irish system. As a result, they will have to buy a separate digital receiver especially for the Irish SAORVIEW system. The safest approach is to purchase TVs with the SAORVIEW logo.”

http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/34764

http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2010/11/11/00232.asp
http://mayotoday.ie/index.php/browse-mayo-news-by-category/digital-life/item/2050-digital-tv-kenny-warns-of-coverage-problems-in-mayo.html

The Cush · 10-01-2011 12:49am

Cawley Nea\TBWA to handle Saorview
January 6th, 2011

RTE has appointed Cawley Nea\TBWA as its creative agency for Saorview, its free-to-air digital TV service due to be launched in May. Chemistry, Leo Burnett and Publicis QMP also pitched for the account.

RTE says Saorview will offer viewers more channels, high definition (HD), higher quality sound, on-screen programme menus and digital teletext, all without monthly subscription fees or contracts.

Cawley Nea\TBWA has handled a host of RTE campaigns, including the current ‘Come Together’ series for 2FM with Ryan Tubridy, Colm Hayes, Hector O hEochagáin, Lucy Kennedy and Baz Ashmawy.

http://blog.marketing.ie/?p=4530

http://www.cawleynea.ie/
http://www.advertise.ie/directory/cawley-nea-tbwa-limited/

How long will it take to get the campaign out to the public? March? April?

watty · 10-01-2011 11:12am

Thanks Cush.
Added write-up here with some background. Nearly 7 months since it was decided to appoint Mary Curtis. Press release was 1st July 2010 and she "started work" in September 2010. Nearly 4 months?
http://www.saortv.info/2011/01/10/saorview-publicity-cawley-neatbwa/

All seems a bit slow given ASO is less than 2 years.

kodscoll · 10-02-2011 11:44pm

i think the boxes with just scart are sd so they wont be able to get rte two come april as its going hd fulltime - unless rte transmit in both sd and hd like sky or bbc these cheaper receivers wont be available

Analogue Switchoff - Public Awareness & Help Scheme

Comments