Viewers still watching in black and white

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SOME people in Redditch are still watching television in black and white new figures reveal.

Despite almost 46 years of colour transmission, the digital switchover and a rise in the sale of flat screen televisions, tablets, laptops and smartphones, 58 homes across Worcestershire still cannot part with their trusty black and white sets.

The figure includes residents in Redditch although a spokesman for TV Licensing, which released the figures, said they were unable to confirm how many due to the low number. Across the UK more than 13,000 black and white televisions are still in use but the number is falling each year.

John Trenouth, a television and radio technology historian, added: "The numbers of black and white TV sets in regular use has fallen dramatically over the last few years, hastened by the fact that it's now almost impossible to replace them and by the need to buy a suitable set top box to continue to use them after digital switchover."

A black and white television licence costs £49 a year compared to £145.50 a year for a colour one.

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