According to a report by the Video Networks and the London Business School, 58% felt that the government needed to communicate its plans for digital switchover better to ensure the UK's 24m homes switch from the current analogue signals to digital by 2012.
A further 41% said the government was not doing enough to educate industry executives.
The report also revealed a staggering 60% of those interviewed from TV institutions including ITV, Channel 4, Five and the BBC, were unsure about the government's plans for digital switchover.
One executive said: "Is there a process in place at the moment? It's been left to the market to do."
The research found that the most important marketing tool available for encouraging switchover was the increased entertainment value and choice, which digital will make available to consumers. As many as 74% believed this should be the government's main focus.
Roger Lynch, chairman and chief executive of Video Networks, said a clear plan was needed for switchover.
"The industry is aware of the opportunities, excited about the possibilities but confused about how we will get to a successful digital switch-over and, ultimately, what role TV companies should play alongside the government in convincing consumers to make the move," he said.
More positively, 89% of executives believed that the benefits of digital would outweigh the costs to convert and 90% believed the 2012 timeframe was realistic.
However, 5% did not believe their own organisation would be ready to turn digital by 2012.
The 'Digital Consensus' report involved 31 qualitative interviews with top TV executives from ITV, Channel 4, Five, the BBC, Telewest/Flextech and Viacom.
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