HC Deb 27 April 1995 vol 258 c617W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 9 March,Official Report, columns 283–84, when the parliamentary channel stopped being available to electors with a moveable satellite dish; when United Artists digitalised the parliamentary channel signal in order to share the transponder with wire TV; and if he will request that the Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit Ltd. consider selling decoders to electors to enable then to have access to the televised proceedings of Parliament. [19115]

Mr. Newton

Until June 1994, the parliamentary channel was distributed to cable-head ends via the Intelsat transponder, from which it was possible for viewers with large rotatable satellite dishes to pick up the signal directly rather than via a local cable service. From that date, the parliamentary channel switched its delivery mechanism to a different transponder and at the same time digitalised and compressed the signal. Although it was not the intention behind the change in the delivery system, one consequence was that those viewers with moveable satellite dishes who had previously been able to receive the signal were no longer able to do so.

At a meeting on 27 June 1994, the Select Committed on Broadcasting considered a number of complaints from viewers who were no longer able to receive the channel. While regretting the understandable disappointment of those affected, the Committee noted that the parliamentary channel was established as a cable service. Even though, quite fortuitously some people had been able, prior to the change to digitalisation, to eavesdrop on the signal via the distribution satellite, this did not seem to the Committee grounds for questioning United Artists' fulfilment of its original undertaking regarding the availability of the signal.

As a result of the savings achieved by digitalisation, the parliamentary channel is extending its service to include coverage of Committees at weekends from 7 May 1995.

Decoders which enable the digitalised signal to be unscrambled are available only to cable-head ends for cable distribution. They are manufactured specifically for that market and are not otherwise sold.