LONDON -- Free, over-air HDTV service begins in the U.K. Tuesday, with half the country to be covered by June when World Cup telecasts begin in HD. In an exclusive interview, Freeview Managing Director Ilse Howling told us she’s “very encouraged” by market research that shows “striking interest in Freeview HD across the board” and points to 18 percent of the 18 million Freeview SDTV homes “likely” switching to HD on their main TV within six months.

There’s “public confusion and industry uncertainty” over U.K. plans to switch to digital radio by 2015, the House of Lords’ Select Committee on Communications said Monday. A report said a move to digital TV seems to be on track, but the transition to digital radio is raising strong qualms, including about consumer and environmental matters. If these aren’t dealt with, it said, “there is a danger of public backlash."

DALLAS -- Home Entertainment Source (HES), the AV specialty division of the Brand Source buying group, is banking on 3D TV helping drive a sales resurgence in DLP rear-projection TVs and front projectors as specialty dealers scramble for profitable business, HES Executive Director Jim Ristow said at the Brand Source Summit here. Internet-capable TVs also will be a boon for selling IP-based home theater systems, while dealers must “renew their passion” for audio in the form of whole-home and wireless systems, he said.

The EPA on Friday unveiled new qualification and quality assurance testing requirements for Energy Star products, as the voluntary program encounters increased scrutiny and censure. A GAO investigation of Energy Star found the program vulnerable to fraud and abuse (CED March 29 p3). The IGs at EPA and the Department of Energy also have found that the program doesn’t have the “controls” to ensure that qualified products meet required efficiency standards.

RadioShack’s stock hit a 52-week high Friday amid reports it was weighing a possible sale or leveraged buy out. Best Buy was said to be among the potential buyers. But analysts dismissed the possibility, arguing that such an acquisition would provide few benefits for Best Buy. RadioShack’s shares hit a 52-week high of $23.71 Friday morning before closing up 8.4 percent at $23.65.

Analysts played down the significance of a suit filed against GameStop in a Northern California U.S. District Court last week by a customer who accused it of “unfair, unlawful, deceptive and misleading practices.” The issue involved a used Electronic Arts (EA) game the customer was unable to download certain extra downloadable content for. GameStop was accused of violating California’s Unfair Business Practices Act and Consumers Legal Remedies Act. “We do not comment on current or pending legal actions,” GameStop spokesman Chris Olivera said Friday.

Cablevision’s live 3D hockey telecast March 24 (CED March 25 p7) went off without a glitch because of intense preparation and attention to detail among all parties for the March 24 debut, executives involved in the production told us Friday. More important, valuable lessons were learned for future live 3D sports telecasts, they said.

The Government Accountability Office got Energy Star certification for 15 bogus products, including a gas-powered alarm clock, in an investigation using four bogus manufacturing firms and fictitious people. The investigation showed that “Energy Star is for the most part a self-certification program vulnerable to fraud and abuse,” the agency said in a report released Friday.

Best Buy this year will continue scaling back expansion of its full-size U.S. stores as it adds 75 to 100 Best Buy Mobile locations, senior executives at the chain said Thursday on a quarterly earnings call.

Intermediaries such as hosting providers, ad networks and social networking sites are the key to better intellectual property enforcement, several copyright industries told U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel.