The licences held by the multiplex operators under the Broadcasting Act 1996 include a condition requiring the broadcasters to comply with a Code of Practice on Changes to Existing Transmission and Reception Arrangements. This Code was originally drawn up by the Independent Television Commission to provide guidance to the broadcasters on how to minimise the impact of the initial launch of DTT in 1998 on analogue viewers.
The Code was updated in 2007 by Ofcom to reflect the likely work involved in Digital Switchover (DSO) and to provide guidance to the broadcasters on the priorities they should adopt when planning and carrying out digital switchover. Since that time, there have been further developments specifically regarding the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) clearance programme that make it pertinent for Ofcom to revisit the wording of the Code.
In the autumn of 2010, Ofcom consulted on proposals for updating the Code of Practice to take into account the work that will be undertaken by the DTT multiplex operators to clear television broadcasting from channels 61 and 62 - known as Clearance of the 800MHz band.
One response was received from Digital UK on behalf of the multiplex operators, Arqiva, BBC, Digital 3&4 and SDN. Digital UK stated that the multiplex operators were broadly content with the proposed wording of the Code of Practice but did raise two points.
Digital UK was concerned that the Code of Practice wording should not overstate the requirement for the DTT multiplex operators to provide a remedy to coverage changes that might arise due to adopting alternative channels at a transmitter as a result of Clearance of the 800MHz band.
Secondly, Digital UK requested that Ofcom clarifies the mechanism for funding remedial measures that might be taken by the DTT multiplex operators as a result of Clearance of the 800MHz band.