Huge support for Freeview and radio services

Ninety per cent of people want to see continued support for Freeview and broadcast radio, according to a survey.
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Research commissioned by telecommunications company Arqiva also indicated 85% of people believe government or local MPs should actively support its ongoing availability.

Meanwhile, 83% of respondents believed the BBC should continue to actively support these services.

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Around three-quarters (73%) said free TV through an aerial is important if not essential, with 84% saying the same of radio.

People want to see continued support for Freeview and broadcast radio, according to a survey.People want to see continued support for Freeview and broadcast radio, according to a survey.
People want to see continued support for Freeview and broadcast radio, according to a survey.

A quarter of people (25%) said they would feel very lonely if Freeview services through an aerial were lost and a similar proportion (23%) agreed they would be very lonely without radio.

Freeview, the UK’s sole digital terrestrial television platform, is universally available across the country and does not need a superfast broadband connection.

The research is published as the government and media regulator Ofcom face decisions over the future of UK broadcasting.

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Earlier this month, the BBC announced that BBC Four, CBBC and Radio 4 Extra will be moving online only in the coming years.

Current plans only guarantee provision for TV and radio through an aerial until the early 2030s.

In response, Arqiva has launched the Broadcast 2040+ campaign – in collaboration with organisations including Age UK, Silver Voices, the Rural Services Network and the Voice of Listener and Viewer – aiming to safeguard the service until 2040 and beyond.

Shuja Khan, Arqiva’s chief executive, said: “Whether it’s having the radio on over breakfast or watching the news during major global events, TV and radio binds us together as families and communities.

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“This national asset cannot be taken for granted and I’m proud of the difference broadcast services make to the lives of people up and down the country.

People across the UK – including the most vulnerable – depend on content that is available to them at all times, no matter where they live, and doesn’t need a subscription or a superfast internet connection.”

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