"Geoffrey S. Mendelson" wrote in message
...
David Looser wrote:
The original plan, drawn up in the early '60s, was to re-engineer Bands 1
and 3 for 625-line operation once the 405-line service was switched off;
but
it never happened. I guess that the powers that be thought that the
spectrum
could be more usefully used for other purposes.

More likely they thought that getting the free TV from France was too
much competition.

You forgot to add the smiley!

Just on the offchance that you meant this seriously I'd ask just how many
people in the UK would actually want to watch French TV?

UHF only TV's could not receive it.

Many TVs sold in the UK had multiband tuners, and frequency converters were
easily obtainable. So of all the many factors that stopped the British
watching French TV that one was by far and away the easiest and cheapest to
solve.

David.