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Press Releases
Improving ´óÏó´«Ã½ reception across South & West Dorset
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To help viewers across South and West Dorset get the most from their ´óÏó´«Ã½, the Corporation has launched the findings of a comprehensive survey looking at the service received by people living in and around Weymouth and Dorchester.
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The survey looked at the area's terrestrial television, comparing the reception considered available with what some viewers actually see in their living rooms.
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The ´óÏó´«Ã½ worked in partnership with the South And West Dorset Broadcasting Action Group (SWEDBAG) to find out why some viewers experience poor quality reception and to find solutions in time for the digital switch over.
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The first step for the survey was to analyse data collected through a questionnaire issued by SWEDBAG to households across the region to identify potential problem areas. This data was laid across potential coverage maps.
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Technicians then brought in a special survey vehicle which has a receiving aerial on top of a 10m mast (the height of most houses). This enabled them to determine the television coverage viewers received wherever the vehicle was parked.
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The vehicle visited the areas of Bridport, Lyme Regis, Beaminster, Chilfrome, Dorchester, Sherborne and Weymouth.
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The survey found that potential coverage (the best reception available to people living in the area) was as expected and that poor reception was generally caused by problems with people's aerials for example:
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- Poor aerial installation – get your aerial checked by an engineer;
- Low quality aerials – should also bear in mind that roof top aerials, especially those in seaside areas, are prone to damage and corrosion. They need regular inspection and replacement with new "digital ready" aerials should be considered;
- Loft or indoor aerials – most modern houses do not have external aerials;
- Aerials not pointing at the best transmitter – check which way you need to point your aerial; guidance can be found in the report.
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Presenting the report, Graham Plumb, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Head of Distribution Technology, said: "We have been aware of the issues some people have faced in receiving ´óÏó´«Ã½ programming, and the work we have done here in Dorset is very much a case study.
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"While coverage is open to the elements and also geography and development, what we found was in line with what we expected. This means the majority of issues can be solved quickly and easily, especially in time for the digital switchover."
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Graham added: "I would also like to thank SWEDBAG for all their efforts in the initial stages of this survey, especially in identifying those areas where people were experiencing problems."
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Eve Turner, Head of ´óÏó´«Ã½ South, said: "I hope viewers in South and West Dorset find this report useful, especially the guidance on getting the best picture possible.
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"For some people this advice will give them better access to both analogue and digital pictures for local and network programming. If people are experiencing problems I hope they will have an opportunity to visit our ´óÏó´«Ã½ Bus and talk both to a ´óÏó´«Ã½ engineer and an expert from Digital UK."
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´óÏó´«Ã½ Bus reception information tour
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There will also be a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Bus tour of South & West Dorset from 3 April 2007. It will visit areas where viewers have reported the greatest difficulties with TV reception with technicians on hand to give people advice on how their service can be improved. The bus will be at the following sites (times to be confirmed):
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- Tuesday 3 April
Morning – Car park behind Debenhams, Weymouth town centre
Afternoon – Willowbed Hall, Chickerell
- Wednesday 4 April
All Day – Council car park, Village Hall, Fortuneswell
- Thursday 5 April
Morning – Charmus Road car park, Lyme Regis
Afternoon – Bucky Doo Square, Bridport
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Notes to Editors
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- The ´óÏó´«Ã½ vehicle visited the area between 31 May and 2 June 2006.
- More information on how to improve your television reception is available at bbc.co.uk/reception/info.
- The report is available on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ website at bbc.co.uk/dorset.
- The SWEDBAG questionnaire had around 4000 responses; this is around 10% of the area's population (46,000 households in West Dorset).
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HB
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