Will Ireland get a DTT swichover help scheme like the UK?

Cantona's Collars

I saw an ad for this earlier on ITV http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/ .Will the Government/RTE introduce something similar over here?
I can imagine the scores of older people who won't have a clue about DTT/Muxes,Polarity,Saorview,Saorsat etc. etc. A similar scheme in plain English would be a great idea.
The gist of the advert showed an old person getting installed,the cost quoted was £40 and free if you met certain criteria.

Boards.ie and Watty seem to be the only ones offering any kind of info and advice on Irish DTT.The people who are meant to be doing it are very conspicuous in their silence.No ads on tv,radio or papers to say what's on the way.Let alone a scheme to help those who will have no clue as to whats going on and why their Irish channels are gone when DTT is in full swing.
As much as the posters here are clued in-99% of the population haven't a clue what DTT entails and how to receive it.You'd be amazed at the amount of people who believe it is RTE disappearing from Sky and UPC.

The Cush

A help scheme is being looked at by the Dept of Comms who commissioned a report last August. The recent budget allocated €3 million towards a public awareness campaign and according to the RTÉ website possibly a set top box grant. Eamon Ryan also posted similar on his website around budget time but that was quickly removed.

Digital Television
To prepare for the switch on of digital television, €1.5 million has been set aside o grant aid set-top boxes for those on lower incomes.
Minister Ryan said, “While necessary savings must be made, I am pleased that we have been in a position to secure funding in the important areas of energy and communications. Next year we will announce and deliver a new National Retrofit Scheme, deliver a new national postcodes system for the country, implement the Ocean Energy Strategy, provide grant assistance for electric cars, roll out the Digital Schools programme, announce a new Rural Broadband Scheme and prepare for digital television. This is an ambitious programme of delivery, building on our work over the previous three years. We are delivering the smart green economy which is providing the next generation of jobs for our people.”

http://www.greenparty.ie/news/latest_news/ambitious_programme_of_delivery_in_energy_and_communications

The Broadcasting Act also legislates for such a scheme.

Regarding a public information campaign, according to an RTÉ reply to Enda Kenny this is due to begin in early 2011 prior to the May launch of Saorview DTT.

According to a Comreg survey published last August 40% of the population are aware of analogue switchoff.

Yes of course we will.
We have a head of dso at RTE already appointed,mary poppins or curtis,I think is her name.
She's been very busy,never out of the papers or off the radio and tv.
The newspaper adds are fantastic.
Heres a link to one of them...
At this stage we are spoiled for choice as regards certified tv's and stb's..
You'd want to be living under a rock,yes you would to not know about saorview at this stage...

Cantona's Collars

Good post there Black Briar,40% of the public are aware of DSO? I don't know who they surveyed.The best you'd get if you asked Joe Soap is "Aye,heard something about RTE being switched off,sure isn't digital SKY"

The amount of misinformation out there is staggering,at least in the UK the publicity campaign began long before DSO and is continuing during the process.
As Black Briar alluded to,we get nothing official at all over here.

watty

The amount of money spoken of so far is pitiful.

http://www.saortv.info/2010/12/08/grants-for-set-box/
http://www.saortv.info/2010/12/08/dso-also-tg4-fundin/

Government claim Digital Dividend will net €500M (one Comreg estimate was a still inflated €150M). They should licence with strict terms for fixed Wireless at €100K instead and tax at normal rates from revenue and think of overall benefits. We don't need any more Mobile thanks...

RTE and RTE NL will have had to borrow over €70M and the government hasn't invested a cent in our infrastructure or DSO costs.

Official site www.saorview.ie
Unofficial site built with donated time, donated domain and donated hosting and no advertising. www.saortv.info
(RTE is a frequent visitor, 20+ visits in December 2010 They also rang me about the use of their logo. They initially wanted it removed entirely.)
www.techtir.ie has blagged a Student to do a Survey as part of Work experience of all the significant Electrical retailers in Limerick City in about 3 weeks time. As part of this you can use contact form
http://www.techtir.ie/contact
Select last Item ASO Awareness Survey

Put name of Shop, Address, comment about

• Saorview publicity on display
• Quality of TV labelling (Suggestion: http://www.saortv.info/terrestrial-saorview/for-retailers/ )
• Any incompatible TVs not labelled as "Monitors" ( http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=69907301&postcount=87 )
• Any Sets without MHEG5 without disclaimers
• Staff awareness.
• Anything else you think of interest.

real email address not needed.

Specially interested in Power City, M&S and other stores not in Limerick.

Currys/PC World issued a despicable guide basically trying to justify continued sales of incompatible stock aand also full of errors http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69746825#post69746825

watty

Tesco (Four Seasons) and Argos in Limerick
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69928313#post69928313