New channels planned for Freeview.
 

re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

A new channel from A&E Networks called 'Blaze' is set to join Freeview:

http://www.a516digital.com/2016/07/n...-revealed.html

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

i know this may sound like a daft question but does this include freesat?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

As per the quoted article above states:
"At the present time, no cable and satellite broadcasting licence for the channel has been issued, so viewers without Freeview will need to wait and see how they might be able to watch the new channel once it launches."

Think that answers your question.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Talking pictures has come to Swansea and is coming to Brighton on 1/8/16.

Sounds like a good idea to me, Talking Pictures gets coverage where their channel isn't on Freeview and the two local TV channels save on paying for playout & material at times when they obviously aren't making any money:

http://www.a516digital.com/2016/07/c...-local-tv.html

The above link says that both services start on 1/8/16, but Bay TV Swansea has been showing Talking Pictures since yesterday.

Curiously, it's only in 4:3 picture format, whereas on MUX7, from Wenvoe, it's in widescreen.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

BBC Sport have added 8 red button streams to the Freesat EPG for the olympics. You can find them in HD at channel numbers 261-268, and in SD at numbers 271-278. Quicker than pressing red and waiting for the interactive menu to load.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Another good thing about putting them onto the EPG is that it gives you the ability to record.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Yep, if they don't then change the schedules. Set up to record the Equestrian Eventing cross country on Monday (which I had confirmed the stream number on Virgin & Freesat schedules). Got home halfway through it only to find the stream had been switched to cover Rowing instead. Thankfully ever since the schedules seem to be reliable.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

I find the Freesat EPG is having a very hard time keeping up. Last night only half of the streams were showing the sport stated on the EPG at any one time.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Last minute change again last night (aaaggghhh!). All set up for the athletics on 568/268. Quarter to midnight Auntie Beeb decides to change it to 565/265. Amazingly, the Freesat EPG on my Bush box changed almost immediately. Of course the V+ EPG stayed the same, but as I still had the TV on so noticed the change & could change the recording at the last minute. Going to be a few more upset people this morning when they start playback hoping to enjoy "Super Saturday II".

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Two new craft channels are to join Freeview.

From 1/9/16 The Craft Channel will start on DTT (and VM from an unknown date), with another from rival operator Hochanda starting in November:

http://www.a516digital.com/2016/08/t...-freeview.html

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Fantastic that's just what we need. Getting my knitting needles out now...

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Lol, it's not my cup of tea either tbh :D

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Like most new services, these are now going on the DVB-T2 COM 7 & 8 muxes, that only cover 3/4 of the population. Those like me (on one of the high power 6 mux relays just outside London) arent missing much by the look of it.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Some info about the new channel due to start called 'Blaze':

Launching on Freeview and Sky on 20th September, BLAZE™ is a brand new entertainment channel brand which celebrates people who achieve the extraordinary through determination, courage and a hint of maverick spirit. American by nature, but distinctly British by nurture, it raises the flag for real people who boldly follow their own path.

Advertisers and brands can come on board from launch via traditional methods which include spot advertising, as well as channel or programme sponsorship. Sitting within A+E Network’s portfolio brands, BLAZE delivers strength and depth to the portfolio and advertisers will have the opportunity to work across a well-established and diverse channel selection.

BLAZE offers viewers a first chance to enjoy global hit entertainment shows never previously aired on Freeview including Mountain Men, American Restoration, Ancient Aliens and Forged in Fire. It will also offer the best of real crime content including fascinating series The First 48 and Unusual Suspects and the hugely popular On the Case with Paula Zahn.

TARGET AUDIENCE:

BLAZE is aimed at a wide demographic: 25-54, with a slightly-male skew.

It’s a straight-talking channel that will have wide appeal to our target audience, whom we’re calling Joe. He (or she) is married with two kids. He is proud to be a person on whom others rely and he has a strong and occasionally overwhelming sense of duty.

He has an enquiring mind, with his own opinions, and doesn’t believe everything he’s told; he likes to hear the other side, even if it’s contentious.

https://www.skymedia.co.uk/channels/blaze/

BLAZE website: http://www.blaze.tv/
BLAZE on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlazeTVUK/
BLAZE on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlazeTVUK
BLAZE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wSDD0BgMfGo

No mention of Freesat (or VM), I wonder if it will be pay on Sky and free on DTT?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

It's currently testing FTA on satellite, so that's a good sign.

It will start on 20/9/16 on Freeview channel no 83.

Blaze +1 can be found on channel no 84*.

* Blaze +1 seems to be effectively a placeholder on Freeview and will be off the air most of the time.

What channel operators are doing is to grab one or two hours of cheap capacity in the middle of the night to enable them to create a +1 placeholder for when more capacity becomes available. This enables them to secure a slot lower down the EPG.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Quest Red starts 15/3/17:

http://advanced-television.com/2017/...k-fta-channel/

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Why red? Surely it should be pink?:D

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Interestingly, the DTT licence list has changed as follows:

Changed:
- BTPreview
... into:
+ BTPreviewHD

Changed:
- BTSportShowcase
... into:
+ BTSportShowcaseHD

Looks like the free BT Sport channels are going HD on Freeview.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Watch this space for Quest 2 and Quest Red 2.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Now confirmed to be happening. The HD variant will be available to 3/4 of the population, so the SD slot will remain for those unable to receive it.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Correction, the SD variant closed today.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Clearing the decks for something else?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Got to be a cost saving measure. Wonder if people with BT TV (Youview) boxes will get a streamed version if the OA version is not available.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

The 'Made In' local TV channels are to start simulcasting truTV.

The 'Thats TV' local channels already simulcast 'Talking Pictures'.

Whilst this can be useful for Freeview viewers who cannot receive Talking Pictures, I don't see how simulcasting truTV benefits viewers on any platform:

http://www.a516digital.com/2017/05/l...-teams-up.html

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

A new channel called Freesports starts on 31/8/17.

It's from the management behind Setanta and Premier Sports and will show football, rugby, tennis etc.

Viacom are to reintroduce the Paramount Channel to the UK as a FTA channel (it won't be replacing Spike as it did in America).

It will show films and drama as opposed to the comedy that it's predecessor did.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

From 30/8/17 Kix is to close and be replaced by a channel called Pop Max aimed at 6-10 year old boys.

https://www.c21media.net/sonys-kix-to-become-pop-max/

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Colors & Rishtey leave Freeview in UK

https://www.bizasialive.com/colors-r...-freeview-uk/?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Aye, a lot of these Asian channels seem to have taken Skys money and encrypted/gone into the lowest package.

If anything, Sky have been kicking channels out of the Sub Club, so I guess they think that putting them all in the basic pack means they will make more money.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Another forum member has posted this:

Wonder if GOLD is coming to Freeview??

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Forces TV, (a military themed television channel that first launched in 2014 on satellite and cable) is to join Freeview.

The service will launch on 16th October 2017 on Freeview channel 96.

Freeview launch highlights include a behind-the-scenes documentary In Kabul: Britain’s Military in Afghanistan (Tuesday 17 October at 6pm) and Poacher Patrol, which follows UK veterans training those at war with lethal poachers in South Africa (Tuesday 31 October at 6pm).

The channel also shows classics such as Knight Rider, (starting Tuesday 17 October at 10pm) and Street Hawk, (from Friday 20 October at 10pm).

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Airwolf is another one, and the A team... - actually has quite a good selection of older programs with a military / action theme, plus documentaries.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Some good news and some bad news:

- The launch date has been brought forward to 28/9/17.

- Only about 75% of the country with HD devices will be able to receive it.

An easy way to check is to see if you can get Freesports on channel 95. If you can, you should be able to tune in the Forces TV placeholder on channel 96 :)

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Could GOLD be coming to Freeview?

UKTV are currently testing an (encrypted) channel on satellite using Eden, but with EPG listings for GOLD HD!

Hopefully they will make GOLD SD FTA and put it on Freesat/Freeview (which might explain the confusion over an advert that appeared to suggest that it was advertising GOLD as being on Freeview) and keep the HD variant behind a paywall as they have done with some of their other channels.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Update: Eden HD is to close on Sky at 6am on Monday, with the capacity being used to eventually create GOLD HD.

This then paves the way for UKTV to make Eden SD and GOLD SD FTA and join Freesat/Freeview ;). I imagine that GOLD will be prioritised over Eden on Free where capacity is more scarce/expensive.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Doesn't look like GOLD is coming to Freeview any time soon...

Apparently, Spike is to be rebranded as 5Spike.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

QVC Extra is said to be temporarily rebranding to QVC Christmas, however, Ofcom have received an application to change the name from QVC Extra to QVC Style.

Suggests to me that it will be QVC Extra--->QVC Christmas--->QVC Style.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

From 30/11/17 Talking Pictures is moving muxes and will be available to more people. An HD box or TV will no longer be required.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Together TV is a new channel from the Community Channel, planned to launch on Freeview (and other platforms) in early 2018.

Info. courtesy of jj20x.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Update: Expected to start 16/1/18 and to replace TCC. Not sure if their two hour slot in the middle of the night will change though!

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

New BBC channel for Scotland coming to Freeview next year:

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/abouttheb...submission.pdf

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Radio Cymru 2 will start in 2018 for Welsh viewers. It will have an alternative breakfast show from 7 until 10am, but will otherwise simulcast Radio Cymru.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Rumour that PBS America will be joining Freeview, possibly on channel 94.

What's on that number at the moment?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Would be a good addition to the Freeview line-up

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

On 16/1/18 My5 will be replaced by 5Prime:

http://advanced-television.com/2017/...5prime-channel

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Started today (on the Com 8 mux).

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Sony Movies Channel +1 is now on Freeview Channel 50 (Local mux).

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

5Prime has been put on hold as Viacom have another rethink.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

'Together' has started on Com 8.

Info courtesy jj20x.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

New crime channel starts 6/2/18 on Freeview channel 60:

http://www.sonycrimechannel.co.uk/ne...channel-launch

Apparently, the current True Crime will continue as Sony Crime 2.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

5Select will replace My5 on 13/2/18 after problems with the original 5Prime name branding.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Talking Pictures hopes to be adding subtitles in March.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

The Engineering Channel is to close on Freeview on 30/4/18.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

No more OTA updates?
I'd better check my local charity shop with electricals and offer to do update checks on any freeview boxes.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Good idea, as these may be older boxes.

The modern ones will be internet connected, so this is how they will send updates in the future.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

New travel channel starts in May with a licence to broadcast on Freeview (and all other 'digital platforms'.)

https://www.a516digital.com/2018/03/...uk-launch.html

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

ITV3 has moved to D3&4 Mux.

https://www.a516digital.com/2018/03/...-freeview.html

a516digital is reporting that Sewing Quarter is advising Freeview viewers to retune from 12noon Tuesday 3rd April to continue watching.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

UPDATE:

Sewing Quarter will move to D3&4 Mux tomorrow (April 3rd) with new hours of 8am to 4pm.
An unknown channel will soon launch on D3&4 from 4pm to 8am.
ITVBe has launch on D3&4 in the Channel Island (ITV Channel Island do not have an ITV +1 Channel)

Media Boy Thinks:
True Movies will use Sewing Quarter old hours and go 24/7* (True Movies share with Sewing Quarter with now)

But MB HQ have no idea what will happen to ITV3 old slot.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Maybe that will be what the new travel channel will be using??

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Pick +1 is currently testing behind the scenes using the former CBS Action +1 capacity.

There's speculation that this will be a placeholder for the Sky owned channel Real Lives to go FTA once existing contracts with pay TV operators have expired.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Pick +1 is broadcasting on Freeview right now - it launch on March 1st on Channel 97 (COM7)

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Oh right, I had been told that it was only in the testing stage. Perhaps it's now actually live in some areas??

If it does indeed morph into Real Lives, I think that this will be a decent addition to Freeview.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

COM7 only broadcasts on HD transmitters and has coverage of around 75% of the UK.*

*part of information in red is from a516digital.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

They need a good comedy channel. Dave is the only one but it needs competition.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

The forthcoming Paramount channel will probably show some comedy.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Something has happened on COM7 today. The total size of the video streams has reduced by roughly 0.8Mbs.

The free space is now certainly enough for an new SD channel.

As Travel XP is said to be launching on 30/4/18, I suspect that it will be for this:

http://www.travelxp.tv

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Yesterday +1 has started on Freeview (using the old Vintage TV capacity).

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

DMAX is coming to Freeview channel 42 on 16/1/19:

https://www.tvwise.co.uk/2019/01/dma...comedy-archer/

Apparently, the Sony Crime Channel is to be replaced by True Entertainment on Freeview.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Keep It Country TV moves from COM7 to COM4 mux from tomorrow (22 January 2019), one day later than officially advertised.

As capacity in Wales is less than elsewhere, the channel will also not reach the advertised 90% of the population, although coverage will be significantly improved on the 75% it has now.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Yes, as Wales has approx 5% of the UK population, if will be about 85%. Ironically, this move, whilst increasing availability as a whole, will mean that some Welsh Freeview users will lose access to Keep It Country!

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Although it won't affect everyone. I paid a visit to the Newport area last Autumn & there are still a fair few TV aerials pointing at Mendip rather than Wenvoe.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

The Smithsonian Channel will join Freesat, Virgin Media & Sky next Tuesday from 6am. Unfortunately, it won't be joining Freeview until the Spring.

No reasons were given, but i'm assuming that this is due to a lack of available capacity (apart from Com 7/8, which musn't have met their needs). Is something due to leave Freeview in the Spring?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Update A516Digital is reporting on Twitter that Smithsonian Channel will launch on Freeview channel 99 next week. With the number of other channels on Freeview moving to new channel numbers.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Excellent news, they must have sourced some spare capacity to bring it forward. I wonder what's closing (unless they've decided to go onto Com 7/8 which serves about 75% of people and falling).

https://www.a516digital.com/2019/02/...ch-across.html

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Will YESTERDAY +1 has been axe on Freeview over the last few weeks plus Keep It Country TV has moved to an new stream on Freeview.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Yesterday+1 has been renamed 'Today'. Did no one tell MB HQ ?;)

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Looks like Smithsonian will take the capacity vacated by Keep It Country TV on COM 7, as DVB-T2 equipment will be required as per the note on the article.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Yeah, they initially said that they weren't starting on Freeview until the Spring. I did wonder why they didn't consider Com 7 or 8 :)

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

truTV isn't closing as speculated, but is rebranding to True Crime from tomorrow. It's exactly two years since Sony bought the channel, so it looks like the licensing agreement to use the name has come to an end.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

OFCOM has issued an Freeview broadcasting licence for Total Country. (Source: OFCOM)

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Very interesting. This new competitor to Keep It Country certainly seems to want to match and then overtake their reach as Total Country is on Virgin Media, whereas KIC isn't.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

COM 7 & 8 coverage is now starting to shrink.
Coverage in Devon, Cornwall & parts of Dorset will cease between now & June as the Transmitters at Beacon Hill (27 March) & Caradon Hill (19 June) cease to broadcast the muxes. The small number for audiance figures & the re-engineering costs for the new channel allocations are the most likely reason for the decision to drop the muxes so early.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Good news here for Freeview viewers - this channel is a good addition to the platform.

https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2019...mount-network/

Unfortunately, it is a further devaluation of the advantage that pay tv viewers have had up until now.

UK satellite free-to-view platform Freesat has added Paramount Network to its line-up of entertainment channels.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Freeview has had Paramount Network UK since it launched. That article is for FreeSat. The HD version is only on Virgin Media, that's the only version that's Pay TV only currently.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Sorry, I missed that it was launching on Freesat. Doh! :blush:

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Lol.
Keep it country moving to a new "stream" also unintentionally amused me. :D

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Were you reminded of a certain famous duet? :D

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Been talking about Virgin Media for coming up to 13 years now (In July) I forgot to say "Frequency" when talking about Freeview. Sorry for any mix up.

---------- Post added at 20:18 ---------- Previous post was at 20:17 ----------

Also DTT UK on Twitter is reporting that Television X has been removed on Freeview.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

@RXTVlog on Twitter (used to be called a516digital) has tweeted earlier today that all the BBC-A Freeview multiplexes are been being changed in the same way as done in Scotland to accommodate the BBC Scotland SD channel, and will therefore have space for an extra stream available. This process is apparently finished in most regions now.

Not sure I see the point as there isn't anything to fill it in the rest of the UK. Unless they used it to help with service differences caused by fitting in S4C SD in Wales.
------ ------

I looked it up. In Wales to fit in S4C it uses E4's space. So E4 uses space on a different multiplex than in the rest of the country. This space in the rest of the UK is used for Keep It Country (it used to be True Entertainment until it moved to a better slot). So if this spare slot was given to E4 in Wales then Wales would gain both greater coverage for E4, and Keep It Country added to their channels. Given More4+1 is on BBC-B (and before that it was Film4+1 before they found space for it on main D3&4 multiplex) the BBC is open to this sort of thing.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

...cont.
Apparently BBCA is licensed differently than the BBCB multiplex so BBCA has to be used for BBC services.

However, S4C funding responsibility, starting in 2013, began to transfer to the BBC with the aim of it being wholly funded by the license fee by 2022 (source: S4C Wikipedia page). That might enable S4C to be on BBC-A instead & E4 move to D3&4 like the rest of UK, as S4C would qualify, with these funding changes, as a BBC service.

This would all mean that extra space, already used by BBC Scotland SD in Scotland, could be used by S4C in Wales and leave a free space in England.

Putting my mind to what could fill it in England, I could think of nothing if the license for BBCA remains the same. If, however, the license was changed to be similar to that of BBCB, the obvious channel is ITV4+1, because it is currently a channel on Freeview that only runs for 2 hours in the early hours so ITV can keep its Freeview EPG channel number.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

An interesting scenario. If S4C becomes funded by the licence fee, topped up by advertising, this could considered for the wider BBC channels.

I doubt that viewers and the commercial channels would be in favour though.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

There is no if, it already is, and the percentage has steadily been increasing for a while.

From 2010 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11581346

From 2016 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37300406

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

He said How does that equate to Surely "wholly" rules out "topped up by"?

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Ha ha. That and also streams and countryside generally :D

---------- Post added at 23:28 ---------- Previous post was at 23:27 ----------

I concur.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Quite. I'm not quite sure what it means. I'm just quoting from various places.

He's another.
This comes from https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-future-of-s4c from March 2018.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

I did notice the 'wholly funded' part, but I think that this must be an error. It's part of Tory philosophy to reduce direct taxation in favour of voluntary contributions towards services like advertising, sponsorship etc.

It's for this reason that I can't see S4C ceasing to take advertising, unless i'm wrong and S4C is to become more like BBC1 than Channel 4??

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

For now I'm interpreting it as S4C always having non-advertising funding, and the BBC was brought in replace another source. It used to directly funded (in part) by one of the government departments directly, the BBC was replacing this at the very least. I don't know the original proportions for the funding to run the channel.

The World Service used to be funded directly, until relatively recently, by a government department, and the BBC was "asked" to take over funding on top of running it.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Yes, I think that's what's meant by the article. It's more about the BBC having to fund it now as opposed to the cessation of advertising.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

Keep It Country TV is to change its name to Spotlight TV, to reflect that the channel is also featuring a lot of programmes that are not country oriented.

CEO Phil Mack has assured viewers on his weekly show that the core format will remain as country music, but the name change will reflect the fact that increasingly popular non country shows are also now also attracting large audiences to the channel.

Courtesy of nodrogd.

Re: New channels planned for Freeview.
 

A retune results in the following changes and a new channel:

E4 has moved to LCN 13
Film4 has moved from 15 to 14
C4+1 has moved from 13 to 15
More 4 has moved from 14 to 18
4Music has moved from 18 to 29
E4+1 has moved from 29 to 28
Movies4Men has moved from 48 to 40
Movies4Men+1 has appeared on 48
Sony Crime has moved from 40 from 60
Sony Crime+1 has been deleted

The retune also shows a slate for Al Jazeera English due to start on LCN 235 from 30/5/19 on ARQ-B/Multiplex D.