Say it with digits...

Saturday's Evening News reports that digital television switchover is only eighty days away for the majority of Norfolk households, with the Tacolneston transmitter set to move exclusively to the new format in November this year. While this is welcome news for the Post, which is excited by the prospect of enhanced reception of the 'Top Gear' and 'On the Buses' repeats which form the bulk of digital output, its attention was drawn to the photo which accompanied the article.

In the photo, 'Digit Al' the media friendly mascot of the digital switchover project is seen emerging from a suitably decorated barge moored at Thorpe last year, urging readers not to "miss the boat" and waving cheerily. Or is he? It looks suspiciously as if he is actually sticking two fingers up at the camera.

The Post is unsure whether this is the result of an altercation with photographer Simon Finlay or whether it is the government's message to those who remain unprepared for the change. If the latter, the comments posted below the Evening News piece seem to indicate that for quite a few, the feeling is mutual.

No surprise, then, that plans to impose a similar switchover from FM to DAB on radio listeners continue to be deferred. Many readers will already be aware that the increasingly ubiquitous and cheap 'smart' phone generally comes equipped with two radio formats: FM and internet radio, together enabling the reception of thousands of stations from around the globe and effectively bypassing the government's preferred DAB technology. While Al may urge us not to miss the digital TV boat, it seems that for radio switchover plans, the ship has already sailed.