BBC approves launch of HD channel

The BBC Trust has provisionally approved the launch of £21.5m a year, nine-hour high definition channel but has asked the corporation to hold fire on rolling it out on Freeview.
The Trust believes that while an HD channel will be beneficial to the Freeview platform, there is a risk that launching a four-hour late night service on the platform before switchover could cause problems.
The technology required to view HD on Freeview will change at switchover, meaning consumers who purchased a new HD box to watch the four-hour service would have to buy another one after switchover to watch the nine-hour service.
The Trust may, therefore, decide that the BBC should wait until after switchover, before launching a Freeview HD offering.
A decision will be made early next year, after Ofcom’s proposals for digital spectrum become clear.
Source: Broadcastnow
Item added: 25th September 2007