Digital TV switchover kicks off at Craigkelly transmitter

Digital TV coverage has received a boost in Edinburgh, Lothian and parts of Fife following the start of the switchover.

The process got underway today (June 1st 2011) with the deactivation of the analogue version of BBC Two at the Craigkelly transmitter group early this morning.

All the remaining analogue stations are set to be switched off for the last time on June 15th, making Freeview channels from Channel Four, STV, ITV and others available in the areas for the first time.

Picture quality will improve and Freeview will be rolled out to almost 24,000 homes in locations such as Kinross and West Linton at the end of the work, which is the penultimate switchover to take place in Scotland.

Paul Hughes, national manager for Scotland at Digital UK - the body leading the process - said: "The last analogue signals in Scotland will be turned off later this month. Our advice is: get ready now - don't leave it until the last minute."

London, north-east England and Northern Ireland will be the last three regions to complete the switchover to digital TV, with the move set to be finished in 2012.