Rich Fiscus
27 Jun 2008 13:50
With the US DTV transition coming up in less than a year we've given you a number of updates about the resulting public confusion. Anyone who's followed that saga in the last several months won't be surprised to hear that the UK seems to have the same problems.
The Committee of Public Accounts, which is approximately equivalent to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), is reporting that although broadcasters appear to be on track for digital transmissions, the two governmental agencies tasked with ensuring a smooth transition "have not taken effective action to protect consumer interests."
The report says the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform have done a poor job of educating consumers. It goes on to complain that they haven't established the kind of specific goals necessary to avoid major problems when analog TV signals are turned off. This has resulted in many people buying analog-only TVs that will require a set-top box for DTV reception.
It also criticizes both departments for pawning off their responsibilities on third parties with no real oversight to make sure public money is being used effieciently or effectively.
If this sounds familiar you may be thinking of the reports that have been coming from the GAO about US regulators' similar lack of planning. But the UK is already ahead of the US in at least one respect. They have a real world test ground to work with in the Copeland area, where the digital transition was completed last year. The FCC, on the other hand, won't have anything comparable in place until September.
But just having the tools in place to do the job right isn't enough. Let's hope they do better than the US. That sets the bar low enough that it shouldn't be too big a challenge to clear.