While public service broadcasters in the United Kingdom would rather not pay for terrestrial television transmissions in the future, it seems there are few votes to be had from the public in switching them off. 7 out of 10 people surveyed said that they were opposed to switching off Freeview in 2034, rising to over 8 out of 10 of the 29% of respondents who said their main way of watching television was through an aerial.
A poll by Strand Partners surveyed 1,000 adults in the United Kingdom in early November.
Of those, 29% said that Freeview was the main way they watched television. 36% said they did so over the internet, through a smart television, streaming stick or set-top box. 22% was through satellite and 8% was over cable.
90% of those viewing mainly through an aerial said they had a broadband internet connection at home, compared to 94% of all respondents.
Of those watching mainly through an aerial, 82% opposed switching off Freeview in 2034, with only 7% in favour, and 11% saying they did not know. Over half, 52% said they strongly opposed the idea.
Even among those that mainly watch television over the internet, 58% were opposed to turning off terrestrial transmissions in 2034, with only 23% in favour.
Across all respondents, 38% were strongly opposed and 32% tended to oppose, with only 4% strongly supporting the idea and a further 10% tending to support switching off terrestrial transmissions.
58% of respondents supported the idea that the future of Freeview should be settled now, in the new BBC Charter, so that people who rely on it know where they stand. That rose to 67% among those that mainly use Freeview and fell to 41% for those mainly using the internet already.
26% said the decision should be left until nearer 2034, when it will be clearer how people are watching television. 14% of those mainly using Freeview were of that view, compared to 30% of those already watching online.
79% of all respondents supported the view that the new BBC Charter could include a written commitment that Freeview will continue until at least 2044, rising to 89% for those mainly using Freeview, with 70% of those mainly watching online also supporting that view.
Asked which they would trust more to make sure Freeview is not switched off early, only 9% of respondents trusted a promise from the Prime Minister or a government minister, while 56% would trust a commitment written into the BBC Charter, with 23% saying they would not trust either and 12% saying they did not know.
36% said they thought the final say should be with the government and Parliament, 29% thought it was a matter for Ofcom, and only 14% thought it should be the BBC and other public service broadcasters, with 21% responding that they did not know.
58% agreed that the Prime Minister should use the BBC Charter to settle the matter.
73% said that leaving the future of Freeview undecided would be unfair on the people who rely on it, such as older people and those without broadband.
61% said that setting the future of Freeview in the BBC Charter would show the government is on the side of ordinary people.
24% said that switching off Freeview in 2034 is the right decision, because most people will be watching television online by then. That rose to 30% among those already watching online.
48% of respondents said that they would feel more favourable towards the Prime Minister if a new BBC Charter included a written guarantee that Freeview will continue until at least 2044. 36% said they would feel more favourable to the BBC, although 42% said it would make no difference.
The poll was commissioned by the Broadcast 2040+ campaign, which is led by Arqiva, the national terrestrial transmission network provider. That said, it demonstrates an apparent strength of public feeling towards maintaining digital terrestrial television transmissions beyond 2034, even among those that mainly watch over the internet.
The Prime Minister, who has previously expressed his concerns about plans to switch off terrestrial transmissions in 2034, may consider that if this poll is anything to go by it would be politically unpopular.
A full breakdown of the survey responses is available on the Strand Partners web site.