Your Ref:

Our Ref: 810000441

Dear Mr Grade

Re: Freedom Of Information Act / Environmental Impact Regulations Act Request No. 810000441 - Digital TV switchover in local authority properties

Thank you for your email dated 6^th August 2008 and your query as follows:

Please can you inform me of your intentions for managing the provision of digital TV in preparation for analogue switch-off for the residents of your council-run properties. I would like to know what process is being used to establish the needs of residents, costs to residents and services to be provided.

The Council is required as part of its normal duties as the landlord to provide individual access regarding national TV services to all its residents who presently have access to communal TV Aerial systems. The existing communal systems are generally in excess of 25 years old (with most only able to receive an analogue reception) and in need of replacement. As you may be aware, the Government intends that transmission of all UK TV and radio will be switched from analogue to digital signals between 2007 and 2012. Haringey will be affected in 2012. To ensure that residents will be able to receive the full range of TV and other services after analogue switch-off, communal aerial systems will need to be replaced with digital systems. If this is not done, TV and radio reception will either be poor or completely unobtainable for all the residents of Haringey's blocks and other buildings whose reception depends on communal aerial systems.

Because of the increasing demand for receiving a broader range of TV channels, all over the borough many residents have installed satellite dishes for Sky, Hotbird or Turksat and others. This has been done without consultation with Haringey Council.

The Council's policy as landlord is to seek to minimise the number of individual cables and aerials / satellite dishes attached to the outside of its buildings. There are very good reasons for this policy, that is to maintain the outside appearance of the building and to protect the exterior surfaces from unnecessary disturbance / damage. This is also to ensure that H&S issues are taken into account and reduce any risks to our tenants. 

There are 3No. routes which we intend to provide IRS systems to our residents. These are through the Decent Homes programme, our rewire programme and a Digital TV programme. The Decent Homes contractors are presently undertaking surveys of various sites to determine the extent of works they will be undertaking in the 2009/10 programme.

The Digital TV procurement process is presently taking place with adverts being sent out for contractors to register an interest. We propose to have 1No. tenant and 1No. leaseholder included within the team assessing the Pre-qualification questionnaire (assessing contractor applications) and on the tender evaluation panel i.e. to pick the contractors to be used.

It is our intention to enter into a framework contract with up to four contractors to deliver this service and to have all this in place to start installation works from April 2009 through to 2012.

Proposal:

Our intention is to provide a fully integrated (IRS) system will deliver, to each individual property connected to the communal system, digital satellite TV, Digital Terrestrial TV (BBC1 ITV etc) and the existing analogue terrestrial service, plus FM radio and Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). The system would also have the provision of connecting any specific local CCTV system i.e. if there are presently any CCTV camera to the block which currently  sends an image of the caller to the TV then this would remain the same.

The IRS will be backward compatible and standard channels like BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are still receivable by an existing analogue TV until 2012 so people will not have to rush out and buy a digital TV or set top box.

The intention is to make this as future proof as possible and provide the facility to each block to receive:

Freeview

Sky +

European services via Hotbird

Turkish Services via Turksat Europe

Freeview

Freeview is available via a set top box which will enable individual purchasers to receive approximately 30 channels digitally.  They include BBC1, 2, 3, 4, ITV1, 2 3, Channel 4, Channel 5, Childrens and News programmes. 

Sky

Sky + has now become more common and enables one channel to be viewed whilst recording another. The resident will need to purchase a Sky set top box and subscribe to the channel the want. 

There are a number of satellites which will provide a service for the various ethnic groups within the borough.  To enable residents to receive these services additional satellite antenna would be required and form part of the IRS system.  It is not practicable to provide all available services due to costs and the extensive systems required.  The following system configuration is designed to provide a number of services to cater for most ethnic groups within the borough.

a)         Turkish Services

There are at present three satellites that receive Turkish TV and Radio.  The main satellite is called Turksat.  Turksat broadcast various free and subscription services. The resident will need to purchase a Sky set top box and subscribe to the channel the want. 

b)         European TV Services

Hotbird satellites provide more than 500 TV channels and radio services.  The channels are a varied mix of most European countries.  There are also a number of Arabic services available. The resident will need to purchase a Sky set top box and subscribe to the channel the want. 

The cost of the works are expected to be in the region of £450 per leaseholder.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me on 0208 489 1303 or email at michael.o'driscoll@homesforharingey.org

If you are unhappy with the information we have provided, or the way we handled your request please contact:

Haringey Council

Feedback and Information Team

River Park House

225 High Road

N22 8HQ

Telephone: 020 8489 2550

Fax: 020 8489 2922

Email: [email address]

Yours sincerely,

Michael O'Driscoll[Author ID1: at Tue Aug 12 09:22:00 2008 ][Author ID1: at Tue Aug 12 09:22:00 2008 ]

Michael O'Driscoll

Electrical Services Manager

Homes For Haringey