Virgin 1 to launch on Freeview

Broadcast reports that Virgin will launch a new general entertainment channel, Virgin 1, on Freeview this Autumn. It will replace FTN, which currently acts as a shop window for Virgin’s subscription channels on satellite and cable. Unlike Sky, who want to take their channels subscription-only, it would appear that Virgin now want to directly challenge Sky One with the new free-to-view channel: Virgin Media Television’s MD wants “Virgin 1 and the newly reinvigorated Living to be two of the top 10 TV channels by switchover”.