Question about the Process for a Broadcaster on the Sky EPG to appear on Freesat EPG

[NEWLINEtv]

Hi, why is it, that Sky have control over the process for a broadcaster on their EPG who want to launch on Freesat?

[Kymmy]

Explain what you mean please and if you're talking about freesat or "sky freesat"

[NEWLINEtv]

Explain what you mean please and if you're talking about freesat or "sky freesat"

Broadcaster "A" is already available on Sky, Broadcaster "A" wants to join Freesat (BBC/ITV), Broadcaster "A" has to say to Sky "I want to join Freesat", Sky have to do something to the channel inorder for it to work on both Sky and Freesat, at least something like that was mentioned in the early days of freesat.

[Kymmy]

I wouldn;t have though it was anything to do with Sky unless it's in the channels contract with sky.. The channels are basically in the same group of sats, the only difference is that a channel on sky will be encrypted and on a transponder rented by sky from Astra.. For a channel to be truely freesat they would have to drop the encryption (or move transponders) and just put the EPG details on the freesat EPG transponder (it uses a single feed for all channels EPG which might be the issue you mention)

[Chris]

There are very few channels that simultaneously exist encrypted on Sky and also on a free-to-air transponder for the benefit of Freesat. (IIRC C4 did for a while, but I'm not sure if it still is). Basically, Freesat and Sky both carry a pile of fully FTA channels. Both kinds of box receive exactly the same signal, but they match them up with a different EPG.

Sky claimed from the outset that some of the behind-the-scenes encoding required to link channels with more than one EPG service had the potential to interfere with Sky's service. As Sky also owns part of the uplink infrastructure in the UK, Freesat and the broadcasters wishing to be on its EPG didn't have much choice other than to play along with Sky. Each channel added to the Freesat EPG therefore goes through an application and testing process to satisfy Sky before it can go live on Freesat.

Of course, there's nothing to stop Freesat box owners from manually adding any free-to-air channel in the Sky EPG to their Freesat box if they wish. They won't get EPG information with it, but the channel itself will work just fine.