Granny: our telly's off and on

FRUSTRATING to say the least is the way Helen Forrest describes watching television these days.

The Kandanga grandmother said the signal had been dropping in and out since the switch-over from analog to digital signal transmission. Yesterday she had no

television reception in the morning from 8.10 to 10.20.

“I wish I’d taken down all the times for the last few months,” she said. “I’ve been putting up with it but then I saw a letter in the paper from a man who lives in Cooloola Cove. Everyone here in Kandanga is affected as well.

“It just gets so frustrating you don’t know what to do.”

If she’s lucky, Ms Forrest can get SBS however, her favourite programs are on commercial channels. Like most older residents, she relies on television as her sole means of news and entertainment and is one of many significantly affected by this lack of service.

“It makes Helen’s life a misery,” daughter-in-law Vicki Smith said.

“She just gets the midday movie on and the signal goes. It is bad.

“The kids like to watch ABC but we have to turn it off because it pixelates.”

Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss has been advised the problems may arise from a range of factors, following the implementation of a single

frequency network to broadcast digital signals in parts of the region.

“I’m sick of this TV,” young Ruby Smith added.