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Message: <blockquote data-quote="zansi" data-source="post: 24629" data-attributes="member: 175012">Below is a reply to e-mail sent regarding the iminent demise of the FTV cards-:Thank you for your e-mail of 30 July regarding the free to view satellite cards.Firstly, as you may know, most of the digital satellite programmes intended for reception in the UK are transmitted from the Astra 2A, 2B and 2D satellites, although a few services make use of the Eurobird 1 satellite. In May, the BBC services changed over from using Astra 2A to 2D. Astra 2A covers the UK together with a large part of continental Europe. Whereas Astra 2D has a tighter footprint covering, primarily the UK and Republic of Ireland, with some spillover into France and Benelux.BSkyB and the BBC announced on 13 June a five year agreement which includes the continued allocation to BBC1 and to BBC2 channel numbers 101 and 102 respectively on BSkyB's Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). As part of that agreement, the BBC is buying a regionalisation service from Sky to ensure that viewers with a Sky viewing card within the UK will continue to automatically receive the right national and regional versions of BBC1 and BBC2. But this will also enable digital satellite viewers to receive any of the BBC's national and regional services anywhere in the UK.The BBC agreement will end payment by the BBC to BSkyB for the provision of "Solus" viewing cards to digital satellite viewers who do not have a subscription to a pay-TV service.I appreciate your concerns as to whether this means consumers will have to subscribe to receive ITV, Channel 4 and Five in the future, As yet, no changes have been made to ITV, Channel 4 or Five. ITV continues to be transmitted from Astra 2D and Channel 4 and Five are on Astra 2A. These channels use the Sky conditional access system, so a viewing card is required. We are advised by the Independent Television Commission that their present conditional access agreements with Sky have some time to run. However, as things stand, BSkyB will not be sending new viewing cards to "Solus" card viewers as part of the card swap-out programme - unless a free-to-view broadcaster, other than the BBC, wishes to pay to provide replacement cards. Once the existing cards are disabled, access to these services will cease. In the longer term it could be that the commercial public service channels may consider alternative arrangements if they wish to continue to provide free-to view access to their services by satellite. I should clarify that there are provisions in the Communications Act, to empower OfCom to require/approve the provision of arrangements to ensure reception of a 'must provide' satellite service (as defined in the Act and subject to modification by the Secretary of State). However, we hope that this situation can be satisfactorily resolved without the need to use legislation.Finally I would like to let you know that Tessa Jowell has written to the respective Chief Executives of ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and BSkyB seeking clarification regarding their position over current and future access to free to view services on digital satellite. We will publish the results of those enquiries  on the digital television website <a href="http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk" target="_blank">www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk</a> as soon as it is possible to do so.I hope this has been of help to you,Rachel Hitchman Digital and Commercial Television Policy Advisor Department for Culture Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH</blockquote>

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