ABSTRACT
The cost of Freeview, a one-off payment of £99 as opposed to the ongoing monthly subscription required for BSkyB, makes it a more attractive proposition to many viewers. The issue of cost is always important in terms of new technology. It raises the question of the extent to which a public body funded through licence payers’ money should be allowed to invest in digital technology which may only be available to those who are able to afford it. We may be in danger of creating a new underclass of the digitally poor, unable to access the entertainment and information available to those who can afford digital technology.
