Freeview channel renumbering and hours changes

cheekyangus · 10-05-2019, 13:04

According to @UKDTT and @RXTVlog there are some Freeview changes on the way on the 13th May. Best to retune after 11am supposedly.

Apparently there are on-screen messages on the relevant C4 channels. I say apparently as though they have provided photos I've tried 3 separate TVs and not got any messages. So the messaging is regional so far it seems.

E4 moves from 28 to 13

Film4 from ch 15 to 14

Ch4+1 from ch 13 to 15

More4 from ch 14 to 18

E4+1 from ch 29 to 28

4Music from ch 18 to 29.

Apparently now C4 now fully own 4Music they've decided to use its lower number. I always thought E4 was daft so far up the guide, but they didn't have another number previously so fair enough.

I don't understand moving More4 up, I would have put the +1s in 28/29.

-------------
The other changes are mostly courtesy of Sony's channels on the Local Multiplex.

Movies4men moves from 48 to 40. It isn't on the Local Multiplex but is taking the number from a sister channel that is.

Sony Crime Channel+1 becomes Movies4men+1. It also moves from 60 to 48. I'm assuming it is also getting extended hours (compared to SCC+1) due to the changes mentioned below.

Sony Crime Channel moves from 40 to 60 and reduces hours significantly. It will now only broadcast from 4am until 6am.

Pop Max broadcast hours on the other hand are increasing. It was 6am-9pm and will now be 6am until 4am. It must be moving to timeshare with the reduced SCC, or SCC is moving to timeshare with it.

cheekyangus · 11-05-2019, 01:33

I actually saw a retune instruction for myself earlier. I had been expecting it as a pop-up message, but this was part of the broadcast and was unexpected as I was watching Cable not Freeview when I saw it. In fact it was a recording from Thursday. It didn't mention any channel number changes, it simply said Freeview viewers should retune on Monday 13th in text, with an accompanying voiceover.

Those who posted the photo were talking about that though, they were referring to a pop-up message, a blurry version of which was shown in the photo they posted. So C4 are going for a multi-pronged approach.

Media Boy UK · 12-05-2019, 19:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

According to @UKDTT and @RXTVlog there are some Freeview changes on the way on the 13th May. Best to retune after 11am supposedly.

Apparently there are on-screen messages on the relevant C4 channels. I say apparently as though they have provided photos I've tried 3 separate TVs and not got any messages. So the messaging is regional so far it seems.

E4 moves from 28 to 13

Film4 from ch 15 to 14

Ch4+1 from ch 13 to 15

More4 from ch 14 to 18

E4+1 from ch 29 to 28

4Music from ch 18 to 29.

Apparently now C4 now fully own 4Music they've decided to use its lower number. I always thought E4 was daft so far up the guide, but they didn't have another number previously so fair enough.

I don't understand moving More4 up, I would have put the +1s in 28/29.

-------------
The other changes are mostly courtesy of Sony's channels on the Local Multiplex.

Movies4men moves from 48 to 40. It isn't on the Local Multiplex but is taking the number from a sister channel that is.

Sony Crime Channel+1 becomes Movies4men+1. It also moves from 60 to 48. I'm assuming it is also getting extended hours (compared to SCC+1) due to the changes mentioned below.

Sony Crime Channel moves from 40 to 60 and reduces hours significantly. It will now only broadcast from 4am until 6am.

Pop Max broadcast hours on the other hand are increasing. It was 6am-9pm and will now be 6am until 4am. It must be moving to timeshare with the reduced SCC, or SCC is moving to timeshare with it.

Sony Crime Channel +1 is timeshare with Pop Max right now.

So it look like Sony are moving Sony Crime to share with Pop Max.

An 24 hour channel will be free on the local mux (For Movies4Men +1?)

cheekyangus · 12-05-2019, 20:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Sony Crime Channel +1 is timeshare with Pop Max right now.

So it look like Sony are moving Sony Crime to share with Pop Max.

An 24 hour channel will be free on the local mux (For Movies4Men +1?)

Apparently Sony only show Teleshopping on their Crime Channel at the Freeview new hours, which is similar to other placeholder channels (e.g. ITV4+1) on Freeview. It will be getting deleted in this house for now.

I only ever watched it on VM connected TV, so it's no loss to me. Feel sorry to others who don't have alternative though.

cheekyangus · 06-06-2019, 00:54

Not been able to confirm this yet but there are reports by some on Twitter that from Monday Dave moves to channel 19 and Yesterday moves to 12 in the EPG.

RichardCoulter · 06-06-2019, 03:04

That will be due to the divorce settlement between Discovery and the BBC.

Discovery wanted some of the better EPG slots.

cheekyangus · 06-06-2019, 09:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

That will be due to the divorce settlement between Discovery and the BBC.

Discovery wanted some of the better EPG slots.

Yeah, but these two channels are both going to be the BBC's after the deal, so the reasoning is less obvious.

Media Boy UK · 06-06-2019, 14:35

Confirm so far (on Dave and Yesterday)

Dave moves to Channel 19 on Monday
Yesterday moves to Channel 25 on Monday
Home* moves to Channel TBC on Monday

*No idea on what will happen to Channel 12 and Home at time of posting.

Source: UKTV ads on Dave and Yesterday.

cheekyangus · 06-06-2019, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Confirm so far (on Dave and Yesterday)

Dave moves to Channel 19 on Monday
Yesterday moves to Channel 25 on Monday
Home* moves to Channel TBC on Monday

*No idea on what will happen to Channel 12 and Home at time of posting.

Source: UKTV ads on Dave and Yesterday.

That Yesterday part of what I read late last night made no sense. This does as it seems to confirm the speculation. And that's the first with a proper source, the other folk on Twitter weren't clear where they'd seen it...and weren't wholey accurate on the Yesterday front.

Thanks.

Media Boy UK · 06-06-2019, 15:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

That Yesterday part of what I read late last night made no sense. This does as it seems to confirm the speculation. And that's the first with a proper source, the other folk on Twitter weren't clear where they'd seen it...and weren't wholey accurate on the Yesterday front.

Thanks.

Your

cheekyangus · 06-06-2019, 17:22

I've since seen an advertisement on Yesterday myself and a tweet from them confirming both it and Dave's move.

cheekyangus · 07-06-2019, 13:47

Seems Home is going to channel 12 on Monday, at least until the ownership of the slot passes to Discovery.

The reports it is ultimately for Quest make sense given the sports coverage and supposed use as part of Discovery's Olympic coverage in the future. I don't think the change to Quest would happen straight away though as they wouldn't want to annoy viewers with yet another Home change so soon.

BARB Ratings have Quest as 0.78 rating for April and Home a 0.34 so you'd imagine they would swap them eventually.

cheekyangus · 12-06-2019, 15:08

More channels moving number today on Freeview. This time it's Discovery's turn following the UKTV split deal going through.

Home, which only moved from 25 to 12 on Monday, is now moving to 42.
DMAX is moving from 42 to 37.
Quest is moving from 37 to 12, as predicted.

Media Boy UK · 12-06-2019, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheekyangus

More channels moving number today on Freeview. This time it's Discovery's turn following the UKTV split deal going through.

Home, which only moved from 25 to 12 on Monday, is now moving to 42.
DMAX is moving from 42 to 37.
Quest is moving from 37 to 12, as predicted.

Look like Home will be axe in the coming months. Due to Discovery not moving Really from Channel 17.

cheekyangus · 12-06-2019, 15:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Media Boy

Look like Home will be axe in the coming months. Due to Discovery not moving Really from Channel 17.

Why would Discovery move their new acquisition Really? Out of its new portfolio lineup it's the 2nd highest rated and therefore it keeping the 2nd highest Discovery-owned Freeview EPG position makes perfect sense.

May's BARB ratings figures have just come out Quest 0.73, Really 0.67, Quest Red 0.50, DMAX 0.40, Home 0.29, Food Network 0.22

And I don't know know why Home would be axed, it's not that similar. The only other FTA of theirs, Travel Channel, they recently removed from Freeview, and its ratings at the time it was still on Freeview weren't much different than Home's in May.

Discovery will probably keep the portfolio as it is for 6 months to a year, assess them and then make a decision on the future of all their channels.