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Gordon McIntosh |
Sky TV aerial charge is a real turn-off
‘They must think it’s Christmas!’ Lecturer says Homes for Islington installation fee is unfair
A PSYCHOLOGY lecturer from Barnsbury is threatening to withhold an annual fee charged by Homes for Islington for the installation of a digital TV aerial.
Gordon McIntosh, 42, who works at City University, says he may refuse to pay the £13 fee to HFI – the council’s housing agency. He believes that the aerial, which is installed by Sky, could be provided a lot cheaper by another company.
Mr McIntosh said: “I would argue that Sky should be responsible for all costs when selling a service or undertaking a commercial venture with its customers and this should not in any way be subsidised by those who choose not to subscribe.”
HFI have a duty of care to provide a digital aerial for tenants to meet the government’s 2012 digital changeover.
Mr McIntosh said that he understood no independent commercial digital aerial installers were part of the bidding process.
He said: “We all know the working-class tenants’ main source of entertainment is the television, so Sky must think it is Christmas!”
He added that many tenants have already got perfectly satisfactory TV systems which they have installed themselves.
“My argument is that we are already paying 30 per cent of rent for upkeep of the existing aerial, so didn’t need this new system,” said Mr McIntosh. “All we need is a digital aerial to enhance the signal – it could be done for a fraction of the cost.”
Dr Brian Potter, chairman of the Federation of Islington Tenants and Leaseholders Association, said initially leaseholders would have had to pay the £75 installation fee for the new Sky installation.
“That’s now been dropped,” he said, “Leaseholders won’t have to pay unless they already have a Sky TV service.”
More than 40,000 tenants, including those on around 100 estates, and 10,000 street properties, will have access to a Sky TV service should they want it once the installations are complete.
Dr Potter added: “If anything Sky should be paying us. Tenants are being asked to pay 25p a week, but we all know that will rise.”
A spokesman for HFI said the organisation is currently undertaking works to upgrade the TV aerials ready for the switch to digital TV.
He added: “Analogue systems will be switched off in 2012 for the London region and we therefore have to upgrade all our communal TV aerial systems by that date.
“The work is being carried out by Sky. A new aerial point will be put in all properties which will include a digital aerial socket, an FM radio socket and sockets to access Sky.
“There is no obligation for residents to subscribe to Sky as they will all have access to the digital aerial point. Those residents who are already Sky subscribers will be able to use the new Sky socket, removing the need for multiple satellite dishes which will help with maintenance of the building.
“There will be a continuing 25p a week charge for tenants collected as part of the rent to cover installation and maintenance.” |
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