I've come up with a number of new possibilities for the various Freeview goings on coming up, though some are rather convoluted. And since they are mostly going to happen later today I guess we'll see soon.
Right, the initial information suggested Keep It Country was leaving Freeview on 30th June. Apparently it's now today.
This 3 day difference sets up a whole array of possible moves, especially if you reassess previously said, but ambiguous information.
Firstly the date change makes it the same day as the Sony changes.
Sony said the True Entertainment and True Movies were moving to reduced areas of broadcast. Many assumed they were both headed to the Local multiplex especially since Keep It Country wasn't apparently moving until the 30th.
The date change brings Keep It Country's space into play, it has reduced coverage (it's not in Wales, E4 uses space there due to S4C needing space) so one of the True channels could go there.
There had been no information about Pop Max or Tiny Pop moving, so this would back this up, Movie4Men+1 would be the sole Local multiplex channel to be replaced by a True channel.
So Sony would be saving money as two 90% coverage spaces would be given up for a space they already pay for, with maybe (I'm guessing) 60% population coverage, and the KIC space must cost less as it's less than 90% (without Wales).
I have a feeling M4M+1 may have to close on Freeview rather than move to the Manchester multiplex as it moved recently, and Freeview EPG rules (probably) wouldn't allow it (unless there is a loophole, as it was Sony Crime +1 in that space and changed at time of the number move). I suspect the True +1 channel on 75 would be moved to 61 (or 62) to take up the spare number and keep it in Sony's possession. They will probably give up position 75.
True Crime and it's +1 closing bring a further possibility into the mix on both Sky and Freeview. The guide data goes on until 30th. What if Sony have sold the channel and the deal goes through between the 28th and 30th. Sony could be doing what BBC and Discovery did with the double renumbering over a 3 day period with Home. Home got position 12 for a couple days so that Discovery would get the number and it was then allocated to Quest.
I'm suggesting maybe Sony has sold True Crime and this 3 days difference allows the buyer to get the numbers on both Freeview and Sky. The convoluted way is only required for the Freeview number to change hands but the owner would get a benefit on both.
With the temporary Com7 and Com8 multiplexes shutting down there will be a few channels that will want to move to permanent coverage. Those channels will be at higher EPG numbers too. For example, Smithsonian Channel has a higher number on both Freeview and Sky than True Crime. Being on 68/69/180 could appeal to them. They would make a separate deal with Arqiva for one of the vacated Sony streams so would end up with both better number and coverage.
Like I said all this is convoluted, but Sony has a history of being convoluted, just look at the long term strategy they played with Movie Mix ownership to get it's position within the Freeview rules.
It probably won't happen after all this rambling.
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---------- Post added at 11:46 ---------- Previous post was at 10:42 ----------
After all my rambling above the Freeview Service Update page now says this.
Quote:
What’s changing?
Channel launches
BBC will be launching 5 Red Button services during the Wimbledon Tennis Championship – you can find these on channels 602, 603, 604, 605 and 606.
Channel closures
Movies4men+1 and POP +1 will be closing from 27 June 2019.
Channel changes
Sony Movie Channel+1 will be moving from channel 50 to 61
True Movies+1 will be moving from channel 75 to 62
Channel changes and broadcast in selected areas
These channels will change numbers and broadcast only in selected areas:
True Entertainment will be moving from channel 61 to channel 48***
True Movies will be moving from channel 62 to channel 50***
Broadcast in selected areas
These channels will now only be broadcast in selected areas:
Movies4men
Sony Crime
Pop Max
Temporarily off air
These channels are temporarily off air from 27 June 2019:
Keep it Country
True Crime
True Crime+1
|
This means Movies4Men main channel is moving too. And seemingly to the Keep It Country slot though it's not totally clear by the way it's put.
Looks like I got very little correct. Oh well...
---------- Post added at 12:28 ---------- Previous post was at 11:46 ----------
Another update
People have clearly complained and been confused by the initial layout of the Freeview Service Update web page, they've changed the layout already to try and make it clearer.
https://www.freeview.co.uk/service-u...june-2019.html
Reading between the lines it seems basically that:
Pop Max and Sony Crime Channel are keeping their numbers moving to the Manchester multiplex to take the True Crime and True Crime+1 slots.
Their spaces (combined with M4M+1 space) on the Local multiplex will then go to True Entertainment and True Movies which simultaneously change to better numbers as their coverage reduces.
Tiny Pop remains as it, on Local multiplex timesharing with Sony Movies Channel+1, the latter moving number.
I saw a mesage of M4M yesterday, but assumed it was a mistake and should've been on +1. Clearly it wasn't, and the KIC slot would explain it.
After all this Sony have vacated 3 90% population coverage slots but kept their numbers.
The phrasing of the KIC and TC/TC+1 information, saying they are going temporarily off-air, by Freeview is interesting. KIC has already been said to be a becoming a streaming channel on the Freeview EPG, the phrasing doesn't contradict this. Given True Crime is closing though, that only makes sense if some change is going on. Maybe my sale idea (above), to transfer the numbers within Freeview's rules, is happening?