Friday, 19 June 2009

Digital Britain: BBC licence fee to help fund broadband and ITV local news

- The government has confirmed that it will use part of the BBC to fund universal broadband access.

- Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle earlier this month, confirmed to the House of Commons that the government planned to use the expected £200m so-called "digital switchover surplus" from the licence fee to help provide universal access to broadband.

- 50p a month would also be placed on all fixed phone lines to help pay for next-generation broadband for 90% of the population.

- ITV has said it will pull out of providing regional news because it can no longer afford to fund it – but will continue to provide airtime for other media organisations to supply replacement programming.

- Bradshaw did reveal a new government target to switch off analogue radio by 2015.

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