DORCHESTER: Digital TV viewers urged to complain over signal problems

Black spots throughout the county means disgruntled residents have continued reporting loss of connection up to three times a week, and losing the ITV3 and 4 channels all together since the switchover.

And with both main political parties threatening cut backs following the general election the solution could take years to remedy.

Frustrated viewers are now being urged to fill out a form drafted by Dorset Broadcasting Action Group who are hoping to quantify these problems.

Dorset County Councillor Rebecca Knox has said: “To fix the problem will take a huge amount of pressure and also depend on who wins the next election.

“There has been problems because Beaminster is in a dip and it’s very, very difficult to get reception if you have not got a dish as far as I’m aware.

“It needs a lot of pressure to be put on free-view digital authority in order to get better reception and right the signal around the county for us to receive ITV 3 on a free view system.”

Dorbag chairman, Conservative MP Oliver Letwin said a lot of people were served by the relay transmitter and not the main transmitter, and that was why they did not receive the full range of digital channels

“For all the great proportion that gets terrestrial service the question is what channels do they get,” he said.

“A large number in west Dorset who live on one side of the street than the other or the other side of town, because of the system, will get half as many channels as the other.

“That’s not something that can be solved overnight. We are currently trying to get to the point where the costing to having a new transmitter is done.”

To fill out the form visit www.dorbag.org.uk/main/questionnaire.htm where viewers can easily enter details of their own problems online.

For more information on current and past activities and issues, and how to improve your reception visit www.dorbag.org.uk

 .ff