ITV: Lend us a multiplex, Gov!

The chairman of ITV has made an audacious offer to the Government in a bid to secure more DTT capacity. Michael Grade has suggested that Freeview will face a big problem a few years down the line because it doesn’t have the capacity to carry High Definition programming. As a solution, he suggests the Government “loan” ITV (and possibly other commercial broadcasters) more capacity to broadcast using a more efficient transmission system. Once everyone has switched over to the new system, the “old” (existing) Freeview spectrum can be sold off. In other words, it’s digital switchover take two. The idea is completely ridiculous, but you can’t fault him for trying.