From Whitehaven to Eternity was the nickname … but the UK’s rolling programme of digital switchover has reached its destination not too far from where it started, in the Tyne Tees and Border area.  BBC2 was switched off on September 12th 2012, with completion on September 26th.

And on the journey from start to finish was John Askew, Regional Manager of Digital UK, who joined the project in 2006 and shared his insights in a presentation to the RTS North East and the Border Centre at Tyne Tees TV in Gateshead.

Although some countries have taken a Big Bang approach to their switch, the UK decided to phase.  The reasons included complications on spectrum overlaps around the coastlines; the 1200 person-years of effort needed; the chance to roll equipment from region to region; and the desire to provide adequate help to people who would struggle with the practicalities.

The lack of headlines are testimony to the success of the support provided, and the technical smoothness of the switch. In the final region, about 12% of viewers had requested help, a figure likely to rise over the last few weeks.

The result of this huge effort for audiences is that access to all core digital channels (including those on Freeview) will have risen from 73% to 90%.  Picture quality will be improved for many.  The infrastructure — last fundamentally upgraded back in the 1950s for the arrival of colour — will now be future-proof for at least two decades.  And of course valuable spectrum will have been released to improve other services such as mobile broadband (and raise money!)

By-products along the way have been tinkering with boundaries.  The ever-changing identity of Berwick has had another tweak with a shift from the Border service to the North East.  Some of the population in the Bilsdale transmitter terrain will wake up to find their region has changed — but that one has long been a topic of fierce debate without easy solutions.  And the Isle of Man is now firmly placed with the North West after many years cohabiting with the Borders.  The Borders themselves have benefited from a new mast for Caldbeck (in Northumberland) to allow for the multiplexes needed for Scottish as well as English broadcasts.

Myth-busting is always a valuable part of RTS presentations and this was no exception.  The journey actually began before Whitehaven.  The very first pilot took place in Wales in 2004, followed by a further pilot to test out how to provide effective support for those who needed it.  It was that kind of thorough preparation which has helped lead to the almost unheralded conclusion of this radical change.

And from within the background story, John released a couple of wonderful nuggets concerning Digit Al — the little silver robot figure who (with his engineer friend Perry) travelled the country in that pink van getting us all ready.  In just one advert, Al spoke... and his voice was provided by Matt Lucas.  One ad was filmed in Scotland... but never aired there.  A Scotsman in a kilt was shown up a ladder fixing an aerial — Al looked up and blushed.  Apparently that might have been upsetting to Scotsmen if it had been shown north of the border.

And Digit Al himself?  John revealed that he was original drawn with eyes with pale blue hatching, somewhat reminiscent of an oscilloscope screen.  Al wasn't enthusiastically received by test audiences, so the drawings were taken off to Aardman Animations in Bristol.  Nick Park (himself) considered them for a couple of minutes, then, rubbing out the blue, gave him the solid-black-with-a-glint pupils that we know.  "There", he said, "Now he's got soul!"

Digit Al became the most popular CGI character on current British TV.  Such a shame he's now got his P45!