Dear Editor
Having read your article in the December 7 issue regarding UK TV, we too on Tuesday December 4 discovered that Channel 5 was not transmitting. We talked to a friend and local dealer in satellite TV who advised us that Channel 5 had narrowed the footprint and that other UK channels may do the same.
We were very shocked to discover this and do not fully understand why they have decided to take this action, having transmitted the programmes for many years. We can understand why the BBC would take this action, because in the UK you have to have a licence to watch their channels because that is how the company is funded.
What we are mystified by is that ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 should narrow their footprint so that satellite TV cannot be picked up in Spain and Portugal.
These channels have programme sponsors and advertisers which is how they are funded, so are free to view channels. These channels are doing their advertisers a disservice because there will be much less population seeing their adverts who may be tempted to purchase their products.
Hopefully as stated by some of the satellite companies you have talked to, they will be able to resolve this problem for the expats in Portugal and Spain by getting TV through the internet which we know is already happening.
Dave and Sue Whitaker
Castro Marim
