ITV Digital to go off-air

For the first time in over three years, ITV Digital, originally launched as ONdigital, will begin to close for good at 7am tomorrow. The administrators, Deloitte & Touche, have issued a statement saying that the service has had to be closed because there has been; "Insufficient interest shown from prospective purchasers to justify a continuation of the operation." Due to ITV Digital's closure, the three licences used by the company will have to be returned to the ITC. The ITC will advertise the licences from tomorrow morning, and by Wednesday 12th June 2002, they will make licence awards for the three multiplexes. Children's channel Nickelodeon, displayed an orange banner once the news of closure was made public, and so are MTV, advising viewers the channels would not be available tomorrow. The ITV Sport Channel is speculated to continue broadcasting, but free for all digital terrestrial viewers, until the 1st Division playoffs have been completed.

Sources

• Media Bullet