Speaking at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Oral Questions in the House of Commons (26.01.23), Peter Gibson MP has raised concerns regarding continued Government support for terrestrial tv and radio.
Broadcast TV and radio remain universally available services of vital importance to the UK. They also remain widely popular – according to an Ipsos research report commissioned by Arqiva, in the past year 55% of adults in Great Britain have watched Freeview TV, with 76% of these watching every week.
In his question, Mr Gibson highlighted the importance of terrestrial television and radio to some of the most vulnerable in society and further highlighted the impact of the Bilsdale mast catching fire in 2021, when it was reported that up to one million homes had lost TV and radio signals. Mr Gibson called on the government to commit to ensuring that “broadcast tv and radio is supported well into the future so that everyone can enjoy these services.”
Answering Mr Gibson’s question, Julia Lopez MP, Minister of State for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure, made clear that the Government’s support for terrestrial TV and radio and assured Mr Gibson that the Government has already committed to supporting it until at least 2034.
Speaking about terrestrial TV and Radio, Mr Gibson said; “Broadcast TV and Radio is of huge importance to many of my constituents in Darlington, particularly older people who may not have access to streaming services. It acts as a lifeline for many of them and it is hugely important that the Government continue to support this vital service into the future.”
