07 May 10

Digital switchover begins in Scotland

The first stage of the digital switchover commenced this week in Scotland's STV North region.

At midnight on Wednesday (5.05.10), the analogue BBC2 signal was permanently switched off at the Bressay transmitter group covering the Shetland Islands, to be replaced by the BBC's digital channels. Certain households in the Shetlands will be able to receive Freeview for the first time, but existing digital terrestrial television viewers will need to retune their receiver equipment following the transition. The remaining analogue channels will be switched off in Shetland on 19th May to complete the switchover process in the area.

Over the next five months, the rest of the STV North region will make the transition to digital television, including transmitter groups covering the Orkneys, Perth, Aberdeenshire and Inverness. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the switchover process will shift to the STV Central region, including transmitter groups supplying Glasgow and Edinburgh. Under the agreed rollout timetable, as the digital switchover spreads throughout Scotland viewers will also get access to Freeview HD. However, an advanced network is already in operation in Glasgow to give residents early access to the HD service ahead of the World Cup in June.