NORTH-EAST cable company ntl is poised to overtake ITV Digital in the bitter broadcasting battle for new customers.

Delighted ntl bosses are pressing ahead with plans to sign up thousands more homes for their next generation cable television service.

The company pioneered its services in Teesside and County Durham, where it has more than 150,000 customers.

Viewers in Harrogate, York and Wearside can also access ntl services.

Now the company is due to pass the one million subscribers mark, underlining ntl's threat to British Sky Broadcasting.

Sky dominates the digital arena in the UK, with about 5.5 million subscribers. ITV Digital has about 1.4 million viewers.

Cable, satellite and terrestrial companies are engaged in a vicious war for subscribers. The prize at stake is a fortune in pay-per-view fees and interactive services, but the cost to all three combatants has been high.

ITV Digital has been forced to match Sky's free set-top box offer, which is costing the company £100 for every new customer.

Ntl has run up £10.9 bn of debt, leading to a slump in its share price and the announcement of worldwide job cuts.