A BBC-backed move to switch off Freeview TV signals is one step closer after the Government said there was a “strong case” for making the change as soon as 2034 as viewers shift to internet-only TV.
Costly terrestrial TV signals could be switched off within eight years as long as universal affordable broadband is made available to everyone, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.
The plan, included in a green paper on the future of broadcasting, was welcomed by campaigners for switching off Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), who say the shift to online-only TV viewing is accelerating. Only a small number of households will be left without broadband by 2034 who would need additional help, they say.
However, the Government’s first public position on switch-off is a blow to opponents. They warn that killing Freeview, still used in 10 million UK homes, would force many elderly people and those on low incomes to take on expensive high-speed broadband contracts just to watch TV that they currently get for free through an aerial.
A switch-off date will now be set, with ministers consulting on two potential timelines. The plan says a “managed transition to internet-based TV” will take place in either 2034 or 2044 with support to ensure “no one is left behind”.
‘Leaning’ to 2034
Media minister Ian Murray said: “The green paper examines the ‘when’ not the ‘if.’ DTT will cease at some point. That is the way the industry is going. The paper is examining the question of should it be 2034 or 2044.
“We are leaning in the green paper to 2034 because there are massive benefits. The really important thing is no one is left behind and we will have a very strong strategy from Government to ensure that is the case. We need to get it right.”
DCMS said that “more people are now switching from traditional terrestrial broadcasting to watching TV over the internet”. More than 20 million UK households now subscribe to one or more streaming services.
The Government “remains committed to the continuity of digital terrestrial television (DTT) until at least the end of 2034 (when current transmitter contracts end) but must now consider long-term models for the future of TV distribution in the UK to ensure the sector thrives for decades to come and continues to be sustainable as technology advances.”
It added that the UK was making “progress towards near-universal access to high-quality broadband by 2032″.
A recent analysis suggested that the number of households without access to broadband would drop to 220,000 by 2034.
There was a “strong case for a 2034 transition”, the paper said but ministers recognise the “challenges involved” in meeting the earlier timeline, the paper states. There would be “targeted support and practical assistance” to help those unable to afford or receive TV over-the-internet only.
Cost to the BBC
The second date has been set at 2044 because, if 2034 is missed, new long-term DTT contracts would have to be signed, potentially costing public service broadcasters including the BBC £1bn to sustain the network.
The BBC has said the licence fee would have to bear the cost of keeping the DTT signal going for a dwindling number of viewers, potentially requiring more programme cuts.
However, a poll found that nearly 48 per cent of respondents would oppose paying the £180 licence fee if its content were only available online.
Murray claimed switch-off would have wider benefits to older people, who might be sceptical about making the broadband leap, such as access to banking, healthcare and easier communications with family members, but would realise the advantages of going online. “It isn’t just about television,” he said.
The Green Paper’s publication had been expected next month, leading to some accusations that it had been “slipped out under cover of the Prime Minister’s resignation” to “set a biased framework for the incoming ministers”.
Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, a campaign group representing older people, said: “Forcing every household in the country to purchase expensive broadband in order to continue watching TV will impact most heavily on older and poor households, people whom Andy Burnham is desperate to bring back into the Labour fold.
“We will now step up our campaign to protect Freeview and our mass petition on the issue will remain open to show the extent of public disgust at the option of an early switch.”
A spokesperson for the Broadcast 2040+ campaign, which wants to preserve DTT, said: “A half-baked plan to switch off terrestrial TV in 2034 would force households to pay for high-speed fixed broadband simply to watch TV, creating a de facto paywall.”
Cost to households of online-only TV
A vigorous debate has erupted over the merits of switch-off, with one recent analysis showing that the number of UK homes without broadband fell by 30 per cent between 2023 and 2025, and now stands at 1.2 million. The figure would drop to 220,000 by 2034, the 3 Reasons report predicted.
A simple plug-in set-top box could help people living in rural or isolated areas over the line, pro-switch off groups argue.
Some may not want internet-only TV which could cost them £300 a year in broadband contracts. An expensive public subsidy could be required to persuade people to make the leap and ensure “universal” TV-via-broadband.
There was more positive news for the BBC in the policy paper, which sets out plans to force social media and video platforms such as YouTube and Meta to make public service content more prominent.
The BBC said: “As government considers the future of TV, alongside the other public service broadcasters, we are ready to play our part in ensuring that the right conditions are in place, to make sure that nobody is left behind and that the benefits of digital inclusion are realised.”
Hence then, the article about the fight against online only tv is being lost how it could happen in eight years was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The fight against online-only TV is being lost. How it could happen in eight years )
Also on site :
- Mindy Kaling On ‘Not Suitable For Work’ Unusual Season Order, Risqué Title & Those ‘Friends’ Comparisons
- SDG&E kickstarts process to set future rates — and City Council votes to back state bills to rein in utility costs
- Meet the Men of Casa Amor for ‘Love Island USA’ Season 8: Photos for Every Islander