It is therefore important that viewers and listeners are able, as far as reasonably practicable, to receive the regional programming intended for their community. In some parts of the country, the nature of the landscape makes it difficult to supply the right regional programming to the whole community for which it is intended, without unjustifiable use of the broadcast spectrum or investment in transmitters. The potential of digital broadcasting provides an opportunity to look again, in consultation with the industry, at how best to address these problems. We intend now to initiate discussions on this issue with relevant broadcasting companies. Should any viable solutions emerge, we will consult Members of Parliament and local communities in the areas affected about whether changes to services to resolve the problem would have the backing of the local population.
Digital television transforms the family set.
It is potentially a bigger change to our viewing experience than the move from black and white to colour. It brings consistently strong pictures and very high quality sound to all TVs. The potential of teletext is unleashed by use of graphics and high speed updates, turning it into a multimedia information system. The current generation of set-top boxes, often provided free by subscription broadcasters, brings email and interactive programmes into homes without expensive computers. Many of the next generation of set-top boxes will bring full Internet access and increased interactivity.