Media: The Digital UK campaign.(Digital UK)

A huge ad push will prepare the UK for the switch-over.

According to Digital UK's own estimates, one in five households in the UK could remain hostile to the whole notion of digital TV, right up into the switch-over period, which begins in 2008 and ends in 2012.

After that, the refuseniks will be even more aggrieved - they won't have any television whatsoever, the analogue signal having been switched off.

Unless, of course, Digital UK, the marketing body formed by the TV industry at the Government's behest, can succeed in persuading them to join the 21st century. Last week, we moved a step closer to the real hoop-la when MediaCom was appointed the media agency for the campaign ahead.

A creative agency, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, is already in place and this week, Rapier was invited to join the roster. This is likely to be one of the biggest public information campaigns in recent memory.

Ford Ennals, Digital UK's chief executive, is unsurprisingly confident that all but a tiny minority are persuadable - but no-one, least of all Ennals, should underestimate the scale of the task. Currently, according to figures from Ofcom, 63 per cent of UK households have Sky Digital, Freeview or digital cable, with 200,000 more moving to digital each month.

The last 10 per cent or so, however, will be a tough proposition.