Digital Outreach launches to help older viewers in digital switchover
An organisation that aims to support older and disabled viewers through the shift to digital TV has been launched. The group, called Digital Outreach, brings together Age Concern England, Help the Aged and Community Service Volunteers.
Digital Outreach will run a range of support services including training, home visits and a network of help centres from May this year. The scheme will run alongside the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, which is run by the BBC on behalf of the Government.
Digital UK, the body charged with overseeing the move to digital, will fund the £2.9m outreach campaign.
Chief executive of Digital UK, David Scott, says: “While the switch to digital TV will be easy for most people, the outreach programme is designed to compliment the existing scheme to deliver the support and reassurance required by potentially vulnerable viewers.”
Collective Enterprises, a company that provides e-business and project management to the third sector, is also working with the charities.
The analogue signal will be switched off region by region over the next four years. It started last year in Whitehaven in Cumbria.