The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of digital television are not only enjoyed by subscribers to pay TV services, but by all the population, Communications Minister Austin Gatt said today.

"Those who today view the national analogue free to air transmissions should be able to continue to enjoy these transmissions free to air, but, in digital quality," he told a conference held by the Malta Communications Authority on the digital TV switch-over.

The number of people who view television free to air has declined to just 11 per cent, or 16,000 households.

"During 2010 we will be finalising all preparations to ensure that all, and not just the pay TV stations, are transmitted in digital format," Dr Gatt said.

The work is being handled by the Digital Switch-over Committee, which is responsible for the technical arrangements for the migration of the national stations’ transmissions from the analogue networks to the digital network. It will also handle an awareness and information campaign, particularly directed at those who today depend on analogue transmission to view television.

Dr Gatt highlighted the benefits of digital TV, particularly that it would give the people the opportunity to view programmes at their convenience, rather than as per TV schedule. It would also introduce greater interactivity.

"The possibilities are truly endless and essentially it improves our quality of life," Dr Gatt said.

This, he said, was the biggest revolution in TV broadcasting since the change to colour TV and fell into the government's strategy, whose main goals were the availability of choice, inter-operability of systems, a competitive market and efficient use of spectrum.