THE Independent Television Commission has given the go ahead for a fifth terrestrial TV channel. The ITC rejected a bid of 拢36.3 million a year from UKTV in favour of a 拢22 million bid from the Channel 5 Broadcasting consortium. The winner promised more news and education, including a science programme for children.
Channel 5 will broadcast on frequencies already used by video recorders, satellite receivers and video games, and the broadcaster must retune viewers鈥� equipment to prevent interference. Gary Tonge, the ITC鈥檚 engineering controller, estimates that 4 million videos will need retuning.
In households where retuning fails to solve the problem, the ITC says the broadcaster must fit an electronic filter to block the Channel 5 signal. This will cure interference but prevent the viewer from receiving the new service. Tonge says that around 4 million households will have to buy new aerials to receive the service.
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