Future of Terrestrial Television

Zöe Franklin Excerpts

Thursday 4th September 2025 Westminster Hall

[Zöe Franklin (Guildford) (LD)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg. Supporters of the switch-off argue that most homes will have gigabit broadband by the 2030s, but of course theoretical access does not guarantee adoption by households.

Around 13 million to 19 million adults are estimated to be living in digital poverty, and the switchover risks pushing more households into such poverty. We know that it is not just older people and people living in rural communities who do not have or will not be able to access digital television. We also know that one in five children is affected by digital poverty, which can have a huge impact on their educational outcomes. So I really am concerned that the proposed switch-off risks extending the digital divide, with unequal access to entertainment and educational resources, as well as to unbiased news.

We need to be clear about the cost of the switchover. Terrestrial television currently accounts for just 3% of the licence fee. By contrast, switching entirely to internet-only delivery could cost £2.1 billion up front and £1 billion annually. I want to ask the Minister who is fronting those costs. For the 4.3 million households who rely exclusively on terrestrial TV, it could mean an extra £218 per year simply to access content that today is free to air. All this comes at a time when one in four households already struggles to afford their communication services, and when millions have had to cancel broadband contracts to make ends meet during the cost of living crisis. Once again, the switchover has risks.

I think we can all agree that in the current world, terrestrial TV has an important role as a trusted source of information. Research shows that 96% of people trust the information that they receive on terrestrial TV. In this age of misinformation, that is not a luxury; it is a necessity in a healthy democracy and civic society. Broadcast television is a shared civic space where the nation comes together, whether it is for the coronation, the Olympics, the “Gavin and Stacey” finale or the women’s Euros, which reached more than 22 million on the BBC alone.

Terrestrial broadcasting is not just about culture. It underpins our critical national infrastructure, supporting radio, emergency alerts and communication during crises. Are we comfortable discarding such resilience in our world, which is sadly encountering growing global instability and increasing informational interference from hostile foreign Governments?

I am not arguing against digital innovation. Streaming offers flexibility and choice for those who can afford it, but it needs to complement, not replace, terrestrial broadcasting. That is why Ofcom has recommended a hybrid model combining digital, terrestrial and IPTV to give guaranteed universality and resilience. I ask the Minister: who will bear the burden of the annual cost of switching off terrestrial television? Will it be taxpayers, the vulnerable or both? How will the Government preserve emergency broadcasting if the network is dismantled? Does the Minister acknowledge that abandoning terrestrial TV risks widening the digital divide, raising household costs and potentially weakening our national resilience?

Terrestrial television remains one of the last universal and accessible public services, and we should not dismantle that before every household has a real, affordable alternative.

Oral Answers to Questions

Zöe Franklin Excerpts

Thursday 3rd April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Marsha De Cordova]

I thank my hon. Friend, who has raised this issue on many occasions. Yes, I will seek to arrange a roundtable meeting with the churches impacted. I hope we can also ensure that a Minister is present at that meeting, to hear at first hand about the impact of the cap and the potential future of the scheme.

[Zöe Franklin (Guildford) (LD)]

I thank the Second Church Estates Commissioner for her answers on this topic, but could she outline what support she can offer churches across Guildford that are facing significant shortfalls due to the £25,000 cap? One such church had been expecting to recover VAT of about £750,000 on its £4 million project, but it now faces a major funding shortfall. Although churches can claim for work that has already been invoiced, that does not address the major concern for those that have not yet completed their work.

[Marsha De Cordova]

Ever since I took on this role, this issue has come up time and again. I commit to writing to the hon. Member on this, having looked into what other support is available to her. If she could also write to me and set out the churches that are impacted, she can also be included in any such a meeting.

Draft Local Digital Television Programme Services (Amendment) Order 2024

Zöe Franklin Excerpts

Tuesday 17th December 2024 General Committees

[Zöe Franklin (Guildford) (LD)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stringer. The Liberal Democrats support this statutory instrument, but I wish to put on the record how grateful I am for the wonderful services that That’s TV Surrey and other local TV services provide. It is such an important service for residents, as it gives them the hyperlocal news and current affairs that are so often missed by other broadcasters.

That’s TV Surrey wanted me to highlight two things to enhance the statutory instrument, and to ask Ofcom to consider as it starts implementation. First, it wants Ofcom to be very clear about what the renewal process will look like. TV companies are aware that, in an ever-changing financial climate, it will be a challenge to present a business case that lasts 10 years, so they would appreciate clarity as soon as possible. That would prevent the process from becoming unduly burdensome and potentially damaging to the local TV operators that this statutory instruments seeks to preserve.

I completely agree with That’s TV Surrey on the second point, which is that, as many of us will be aware, local TV services benefit from electronic programme guide prominence on Freeview, regulated by Ofcom, but there is no guarantee of either carriage or prominence on the digital apps that are being planned by local TV operators. The request from That’s TV Surrey is therefore that the Government work with the industry to secure a pathway for local TV to launch apps on internet-connected television sets, so that residents across the country can continue to see their local TV services and access local TV feeds.