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The Digital Switchover programme could be stalled by lack of understanding, MPs have warned.
A quarter of TVs sold in December 2007 did not have a digital tuner, according to the Commons Public Accouonts Committee's report on preparations for digital switchover.
In two thirds of the electrical stores sampled for the report, only half of the staff could explain what the Digital Tick logo meant.
The committee said the government needs a plan to make sure at least 90 per cent of retail staff understand the Digital Tick by the end of this year.
The report said Digital Switch is ahead of schedule overall, because 85 per cent of households have already converted their main set, but 26 million analogue TVs remain to be converted by 2012.
Edward Leigh, chair of the committee, said: "Many viewers do not seem to fully understand the implications of the analogue switch-off and are still buying analogue televisions, unaware that they have built-in obsolescence.
"The evidence is that the 'digital tick' label is a mystery to many retail staff, let alone the people to whom they sell TVs."
The report also said the government is in danger of mimanaging public money through the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, which is administered by the BBC through an £803m chunk of the TV Licence Fee.
MPs said the government does not have enough control or insight into how the money is spent, and warns that up to £250m could remain unspent because take up may be lower than expected.
This follows the first digital switchover in Whitehaven and Copeland last year, where the scheme was used by far fewer people than were eligible, often because they had already switched.
A quarter of TVs sold in December 2007 did not have a digital tuner, according to the Commons Public Accouonts Committee's report on preparations for digital switchover.
In two thirds of the electrical stores sampled for the report, only half of the staff could explain what the Digital Tick logo meant.
The committee said the government needs a plan to make sure at least 90 per cent of retail staff understand the Digital Tick by the end of this year.
The report said Digital Switch is ahead of schedule overall, because 85 per cent of households have already converted their main set, but 26 million analogue TVs remain to be converted by 2012.
Edward Leigh, chair of the committee, said: "Many viewers do not seem to fully understand the implications of the analogue switch-off and are still buying analogue televisions, unaware that they have built-in obsolescence.
"The evidence is that the 'digital tick' label is a mystery to many retail staff, let alone the people to whom they sell TVs."
The report also said the government is in danger of mimanaging public money through the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, which is administered by the BBC through an £803m chunk of the TV Licence Fee.
MPs said the government does not have enough control or insight into how the money is spent, and warns that up to £250m could remain unspent because take up may be lower than expected.
This follows the first digital switchover in Whitehaven and Copeland last year, where the scheme was used by far fewer people than were eligible, often because they had already switched.