Blog: Local residents have been awaiting the big event with baited breath, wondering if it will all live up to the hype.

The much-publicised joining together of something the British public hold dear, the old traditions making way for the new breed.

No, not the Royal Wedding – the digital switchover!

Because, let’s face it, no matter how much publicity is thrown at Wills’ and Kate’s Big Day – no matter how often we’re reminded that we should all be throwing street parties and getting together as a community to mark their special day – frankly we’re all far too broke and much more interested in the cheap entertainment our trusty TVs provide us with night after night.

In these dark days of wallet-squeezing cutbacks, redundancies and slashed benefits, television is king, bringing us the cheap night in instead of the expensive night out.

But now they’re shaking it all up with the digital switchover. Thanks for that.

Because I know it will all be much better in the end, with more channels and better reception and all that guff, but we all know nothing in technology ever goes that smoothly . . . and getting there could be painful.

After the massive advertising campaign, we should all be aware by now of the steps we should have taken to be ready for the switchover. And now that some parts of the county have already been partially switched on, did it all go as planned? A smooth transition into the digital wonders of 21st century TV?

Not exactly…

Now we have people all over the Wrekin wondering where BBC went after the first-phase switchover last Wednesday…

Living out in the Powys hills, where analogue TV has no chance, I made the switch to digital some time ago. So having spent many long evenings flicking through the endless channels trying to find something I, a) want to watch, that, b) I haven’t already seen, and that, c) isn’t ruined by the scrambling and burping of bad reception, I know the reality is far from living up to the promises of digital wonder.

Whatever happened to extensive channel choice and improved reception? And what are we actually going to get in return for having to cough up for a digital TV service, on top of the existing licence fee?

With credit-crunching cuts to programming and some smaller local radio stations facing the axe, it feels like we’ve yet again been hoodwinked into paying more money for less service. Mind you, it’s a good way to ensure that we all gather together to enjoy the Royal Wedding – never mind the street parties, we’ll all be round the neighbour’s house, gathered around the one television in the street that actually works.

And in case you miss it, the one thing you can now be sure of is that it will be repeated… again… and again… and again…