Retune your TV in Sussex to keep Five

From today, people living in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove will no longer be able to get Channel Five through their terrestrial digital television sets because of a reorganisation of the airwaves ahead of the full digital switchover in 2012.

Viewers using Freeview, Top Up TV and BTVision to watch TV from the Rowridge transmitter will need to retune their digital TVs and set top boxes for Five to continue working.

An estimated 500,000 homes watching these services will need to retune their equipment or risk losing access to dozens of channels, including those from the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.

Satellite and cable TV will not be affected.

The move of the channel to a new digital frequency coincides with viewers in the Southampton, Gosport and Portsmouth areas losing their analogue Channel Five for good with the switch offoft he Fawley transmitter.

Digital UK, the independent body leading the implementation of the digital switchover, has said the changes are required as part of a reorganisation of airwaves ahead of the UK's switch to digital TV, due to take place in the Meridian TV region in 2012.

The moves will protect existing digital services from interference from neighbouring areas in the UK and France, where switchover is starting in mid-2009.

David Scott, Chief Executive of Digital UK, said: "Making these changes now is vital to protecting existing services from interference and ensuring that the process runs smoothly in the Meridian TV region in three years time.

"Analogue viewers who make the switch to digital now will not only be able to continue enjoying Five but also many extra TV channels, radio and text services.

For digital viewers, retuning their equipment should only take a few moments and we are here to offer advice to anyone who needs it."

Viewers can check if they are served by the Rowridge transmitter by using the postcode checker at www.digitaluk.co.uk or calling the helpline on 0845 8450231.