New survey in key constituencies finds 75% of voters want their MP to actively support the continued provision of digital terrestrial TV (Freeview) and broadcast radio
THREE QUARTERS OF ADULTS WANT THEIR MP TO PROTECT TRADITIONAL TV AND RADIO
As the cost of living continues to rise, 8 in 10 people value traditional TV and radio as an affordable form of entertainment for their families.
A coalition of groups including Silver Voices, the Children's Media Foundation, the Rural Services Network and the Voice of the Listener and Viewer is urging the Government to safeguard broadcast services
05 December 2022: Three quarters (75%) of people in key constituencies want their MP to protect traditional TV services, as the country faces a deepening cost of living crisis.
A new poll of over 5,000 people in the north and south of England found that 8 in 10 (78%) see digital terrestrial TV better known as Freeview as important, if not essential, to their daily lives. Around 8 in 10 (78%) said they depend on traditional TV as an affordable and valued form of entertainment.
More than a quarter (26%) are worried about the cost of TV subscriptions rising to 40% of those on lower incomes. Half can't afford subscription services or don't think they offer value for money, and more than half (52%) said they aren't interested in switching from Freeview to streaming apps.
Rising prices have led households to cut back on TV streaming services this year as people look for ways to save money, according to market research company Kantar.
The value for money and high-quality programming offered by traditional TV is particularly important for families. In the constituencies polled, more than 8 in 10 people (82%) said they rely on terrestrial TV as an affordable form of entertainment for their children. Two thirds said they believed watching Freeview is better for their children than streaming services or YouTube.
Digital terrestrial TV is universally available across the UK, it doesn't need a superfast broadcast connection, and there's no additional monthly subscription cost.
The areas polled by Strand Partners and broadcast infrastructure company Arqiva cover key constituencies in the north of England, such as Darlington where Peter Gibson is MP, and in the south-west including North Devon where Selaine Saxby is MP. The survey also captures Transport Minister Richard Holden's North-West Durham constituency and former Tory Chairman Sir Jake Berry's Rossendale and Darwen constituency.
More than 7 in 10 (72%) said the loss of traditional TV would have a significant negative impact on the UK. Around two thirds (65%) think it should be classed as critical national infrastructure' essential for the day to day running of the country. When asked, 16% of those polled said they associate protecting traditional TV services with the Conservative Party, 34% associated it with Labour.
As it stands, there is only certainty of provision for TV and radio through an aerial until the early 2030s. Ofcom is currently considering what the UK's negotiating position will be at next year's World Radio Communication Conference (WRC23), where countries will decide whether the spectrum of radio frequencies currently used for TV broadcasting should instead be allocated to other technologies. Decisions at previous WRCs have already led to a reduction in the spectrum allocated to digital terrestrial TV, which has meant more services are now squeezed into fewer frequency bands.
If the UK is to preserve its broadcast services it will need to fight for them in negotiation with other countries, including those within the EU who are expected to vote as one bloc. To have the technical capacity to deliver these services later down the line, the Government must commit to protect them now and ensure that there is no change in the spectrum allocated to television broadcasting.
Selaine Saxby, Conservative MP for North Devon, said:
People in my constituency rely on their terrestrial TV service.
I see every day how essential Freeview is to families in rural areas who struggle to get good broadband, to those who cannot afford monthly streaming subscriptions, and to older people who lack confidence online.
We must protect terrestrial TV services for the long-term, and I will be pressing that case with government.
Peter Gibson, Conservative MP for Darlington, said:
I am concerned about the potential lack of continued terrestrial TV and radio services for my constituents in Darlington. Before these are potentially disconnected we need a much deeper understanding as to who this is going to affect the most and how it will impact vulnerable people in our community.
The coalition behind the Broadcast 2040 campaign has written to Michelle Donelan, Secretary of State at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, to urge the Government to protect traditional TV and radio services to 2040 and beyond.
The letter, from Arqiva Chief Executive Shuja Khan, is signed by a range of groups on behalf of viewers and listeners across the country, including the Children's Media Foundation, over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, and the Rural Services Network.
In the letter, Arqiva CEO Shuja Khan said:
Broadcast TV and radio are part of the daily routine of tens of millions of people across the UK nine out of ten adults listen to radio at least once a week and nearly half the households in the UK regularly access television through an aerial.
These services bind us together as a people, whether it is through national moments that matter like the Queen's State Funeral and Jubilee or celebrating national success like the Women's Euro Final.
Now is a critical moment to guarantee them for the long-term. The Government is only committed to these services until the early 203
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Steinberg DAWs now boast in-depth Tonalic integration
Celemony's innovative virtual session musician plug-in has just received an update that brings ARA...
04/06/2026
Get Hands-On With Over 20 Mic Brands
GearExpo UK is fast approaching, and if you've been looking for a chance to check out some new mics, then you'r...
04/06/2026
Combos feature new Amplifier Intelligence engine
Positive Grid's latest release sees the company introduce two new combo amplifiers that promise to offe...
04/06/2026
Is Your Job Making You Work this June?
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Launches the World Cup Watchers' Rights Association to Stand Up For Australians&...
04/06/2026
Statement regarding unauthorised use of SBS logos on third party social content
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has become aware of social media posts in c...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
New survey in key constituencies finds 75% of voters want their MP to actively support the continued provision of digital terrestrial TV (Freeview) and broadcast radio
