Digital UK hunts direct agency for projects

by Claire Billings, Marketing 12-Dec-07

Digital UK, the body overseeing the digital switchover, is seeking a direct agency to handle a portion of its online and offline direct work.

The organisation is approaching agencies about projects that are
believed to be separate to the main direct account, held by Rapier.

Last week, Digital UK was criticised by the Ofcom Consumer Panel for not

providing enough support for viewers lacking the technical nous to

switch from analogue TV to digital by the government's 2012
deadline.

The panel recommended that the body should post 'helping hand' packs to
consumers who are eligible for the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, such
as the over-75s and disabled people.

The switch-off of the UK's analogue TV signal began in Whitehaven,
Cumbria, in October. At the end of June, the number of households with
access to digital TV was 21.4m, leaving 4m still watching an analogue
main set.

Digital UK's chief executive Ford Ennals recently resigned to become
president of Nike's Cole Hann division in the US (Marketing, 21
November). Digital UK hopes to hire a successor before his departure in
February.