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If your TV or radio is affected by interference, Ofcom may be able to help.

Our priorities in dealing with interference, in order of importance, are:

• to protect emergency radio services (for example, fire, police and ambulance services) and air-traffic control;
• to help businesses suffering radio interference; and
• to deal with all other interference complaints.

We are happy to investigate and remove sources of interference, but we have to make a charge if we find that faults in or problems with your TV, radio or other electrical equipment within your home (such as thermostats) have caused your reception problem. If you suspect that this may be the case, please contact your dealer or aerial installer. The Confederation of Aerial Industries keeps a list of reputable installers.

How can we help?

To ask us to investigate interference, please print and complete the investigative request form and send it to us at one of the addresses shown, or complete the online form. If we feel that an investigation is appropriate, we will visit you during normal working hours at a time that is convenient for both of us.

Our investigation will try to identify the cause of the interference and, if appropriate, put it right.

• If the interference is caused by an outside source (such as an illegal radio transmission or faulty electrical apparatus), we will take appropriate action and will not charge you.
• If the interference is caused by problems with the broadcast signal itself (see the next page), we will provide a report on what is wrong but will not be able to cure the interference. Again, we will not charge you.
• If the interference is caused by your TV or radio installation (for example, a faulty aerial, receiver, cable or plugs) or by any part of your domestic electrical system, we will charge you £50 (GBP) including VAT. (There is no charge if your household is covered by a free TV licence.)

Although we cannot repair faulty or poorly-installed equipment, in some cases we can fit a filter to your equipment which may reduce interference problems. If we fit more than one filter, we may make an extra charge. Following our investigation, we will give you a written report containing our recommendations.

What sort of problems can we investigate?

We can only investigate complaints about domestic TV and radio reception.

You must have a satisfactory aerial for your TV or FM radio - we cannot investigate problems if you use a set-top aerial or an aerial built into the set.

Our service is not available to you if you live in a hotel, a block of flats or a housing estate with a shared aerial system. Please contact the landlord, owner or nominated contractor, who can contact us for an investigation if they want.

If you have an aerial amplifier, please first contact an aerial installer, who may be able to help. Amplifiers can be affected by nearby transmissions.

Our service does not cover interference to other radio uses such as amateur radio, Citizens' Band radio or low-power radios such as baby alarms.

Also, we cannot investigate interference to:

• equipment that is not intended to pick up radio signals (for example, phones, fax machines, answering machines, alarm systems, CD and DVD players, cassette decks, record players and electronic keyboards);
• analogue satellite TV or cable TV;
• car radios and in-car entertainment; or
• computers and monitors.

If you have problems with any of these types of equipment, please contact your supplier, dealer or rental company engineer.

Problems with the broadcast signal

If we visit you and decide that your reception problem is caused by problems with the broadcast signal itself, we will not be able to cure the interference. Problems with the broadcast signal include the following.

• Weak signal strength - this can cause a generally faint or 'grainy' analogue TV picture, often known as 'snow'.
• Ghosting - if analogue TV signals are reflected by a building or other tall object, you may receive multiple pictures on your TV screen. (Tall moving objects such as trees and cranes will cause the 'ghost' image to move from side to side.) You may be able to remove ghosting by adjusting your aerial - contact an aerial installer for advice.
• Co-channel interference - under certain weather conditions, TV signals can travel much further than usual. Unwanted signals from distant TV transmitters may then cause horizontal lines on your TV screen. TV announcements are usually made when this effect covers a wide area.

Long- and medium-wave (AM) radio reception is often affected by interference and fading, especially after dark. There is often little that can be done about this, although changing the position of the radio may improve reception.

For more advice, contact your dealer, BBC Reception Advice or the commercial TV or radio station concerned. Elsewhere on this site you can find the contact details for all TV and radio broadcasters, as well as extra helpful advice about problems with reception.

Digital TV does not suffer co-channel interference or ghosting, but problems can happen in areas that have weak signals. Please consult your dealer if you have difficulties with reception.

Information on transmitter faults and engineering work is available from the broadcasters. Contact details for Ofcom licensees are available at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/ifi/tvlicensing/ for TV, and http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/ for radio broadcasting. Information on transmitter problems affecting BBC services is available on their website at http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/transmitters/today.shtml.

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