Central southern England's digital switchover announced

Dates for the television digital switchover across central southern England next year have been announced.

Parts of Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey, which use services provided by the Hannington transmitter, will make the transition by 22 February 2012.

Much of West Sussex will lose analogue services on 14 March, with Brighton making the transition by 21 March.

Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and parts of Dorset using the Rowridge service will be complete by 21 March.

Switchover will see the five analogue TV channels permanently switched off and the Freeview service boosted to reach virtually all 2.48m households in the region.

Thousands of homes in previous digital blackspots such as Newbury, Henley, Haslemere, Salisbury, Poole, Dorchester, Winchester and Brighton will be able to receive Freeview channels for the first time.