Access Of Free To Air Satellite Homes To Public Service Channels

EDM number 1577 in 2002-03, proposed by Chris Bryant on 10/07/2003.

That this House notes that the agreement between the BBC and BSkyB to provide owners of satellite equipment with free access to the encrypted public service channels expires on 10th July; notes that as a consequence free-to-air satellite viewers may shortly be denied access on their satellite equipment to ITV, Channel 4, Channel Five and S4C; recognises that while the great majority of these viewers will still be able to receive these services by switching to analogue terrestrial, many thousands of viewers will be deprived of some free-to-air public service channels they currently watch; and calls upon the Secretary of State to hold urgent discussions with BSkyB, the BBC and the other public service broadcasters to see how continuing access to public service channels for free-to-air satellite viewers can be facilitated.

This motion has been signed by a total of 38 MPs.