MP VOICES CONCERN OVER SKY'S TREATMENT OF DIGITAL HELP SCHEME PARTICIPANTS

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 23rd Jul 2008

Local MP Michael Moore has voiced concern over reports that Sky has sent letters demanding payment of £250 to recipients of free digital set-top boxes as part of the digital switchover help scheme.

Last month it was announced that Sky had been awarded the contract for the delivery of the targeted help scheme, which is funded by the BBC out of their licence fee settlement. It has now emerged that Sky have demanded payment for the installation of their system to between 50 and 60 viewers in the ITV Border region who have had Sky installed as part of the help scheme.

Mr Moore believes that the sending of these letters raises serious questions about the decision to award the contract to Sky. He said:

"The news that Sky has been sending their standard demands for payment, with their usual charge of £250 for having a Sky plus system installed, to the first recipients of help under the scheme calls into serious question their assertion that these viewers will not become part of Sky's marketing machine.

"Under the terms of their agreement, Sky pledged not to market these viewers for 13 months. I think that is woefully inadequate since, once the 13 months is up, these older and more vulnerable viewers could be sent mountains of marketing material. However, it is now even more concerning that these viewers appear not to have been separated out from Sky's regular customers. Where is the protection that was promised?"