Digital TV roadshow heads for Border

The Digital UK Switchover Roadshow is set to start its tour of the Border TV area, which will next year become the UK's first whole ITV region to lose analogue terrestrial transmissions.

Transmissions from the Selkirk transmitter group will be switched off on November 6 and from the Caldbeck group between April and June next year.

Advisors joined by the switchover robot mascot Digital Al will visit 16 towns, one city and two festivals in the region over six weeks starting tomorrow in Duns.

According to the latest official figures, 17% of Border residents have yet to take up any form of digital television. About a third of TVs in the region are being used to view analogue signals.

Digital UK, the collaborative group set up to oversee switchover, will provide information on what viewers need to do and what help is available.

"The whole of the Border TV region, covering more than half a million viewers, will have switched to digital in a little over a year from now," said John Askew, Digital UK manager for the region. "This is a great opportunity for people to meet the team from Digital UK, find out how to prepare and learn what help is available."

Analogue transmissions for the Copeland area of Cumbria, also part of Border, were turned off in the autumn.