Ofcom's digital dividend tsar has again been toutinbg his spectrum re-use plan for Freeview HD - but there are still no details on how it could be achieved.

Philip Rutnam, Ofcom's partner in charge of spectrum policy, and a keen opponent of handing out an HD multiplex for Freeview, wrote to The Guardian following a leader article in Monday's Media Guardian.

Along with pointing out that hi-def is about to become a mass phenomenon, the Guardian said: "...if the BBC were deprived of providing HDTV for the nine hours a day it
is planning - including for the Olympics - it would be a massive body
blow to the UK's most renowned cultural institution."

Mr Rutnam responded: "You say that high-definition television could soon become a mass
phenomenon and that the BBC should not be left behind (Leader, August
20). At Ofcom we agree. In fact, we'd go further: we are keen to see
that all public service broadcasters - not just the BBC - can offer
HDTV to digital terrestrial television viewers. There are two ways of
achieving this. These broadcasters could simply be granted some of the
highly-valued radio spectrum that will be freed-up when we complete the
switch to all-digital television in 2012. Alternatively, HDTV could be
delivered using the broadcasters' existing spectrum.

"Ofcom
believes that it is in the best interests of viewers and the
broadcasters to pursue the second option. Using the broadcasters'
existing spectrum will ensure they can deliver HDTV services before the
London Olympics and at lower cost than using new spectrum, which is
good news for programming budgets. In addition, it will allow the
spectrum that will be freed up through digital television switchover to
be used for new services such as innovative mobile applications,
wireless broadband and local television. This is the kind of
"technological fix" that is fair to all: broadcasters, viewers,
taxpayers and new media industries.

"Creating the capacity for
HDTV is a complex issue that requires work from both Ofcom and the
broadcasters. But we believe it is a prize worth aiming for."

Again, however, Ofcom has failed to put any flesh to the bones of its alternative hi-def plan for Freeview. It's about time they stepped up and explained how they plan to re-arrange the multiplexes.