Thomas Cook TV ceases broadcasting

Thomas Cook TV has ceased broadcasting on Freeview. The channel, which launched on channel 41 in April, had been leasing capacity from Turner (the evening slot previously occupied by TCM).

ITV considering selling capacity to Virgin Media

ITV are reportedly considering selling some of their Freeview broadcast capacity to Virgin Media, according to Broadcast. It’s thought that plans to launch a movies channel in the space currently occupied by ITV2+1 (and previously the now-defunct ITV Play) have been shelved. Any sale to Virgin would allow them to launch Virgin 1 on Freeview in a 24-hour slot, rather than the current plan to replace FTN (which would only allow broadcasts between 18:00 and 06:00).

HD should use existing capacity – Ofcom

Ofcom have given the clearest indication yet that no extra capacity will be freed-up post-switchover for High Definition television to be broadcast via DTT. In a letter to The Guardian, Philip Rutnam said “Ofcom believes that it is in the best interests of viewers and the broadcasters to [deliver HD] using the broadcasters' existing spectrum”.

Channel 4+1 launches on Freeview

Channel 4+1 has launched on Freeview, replacing Film4+1. The service, the first timeshifted version of the “big-five” channels, will appear on channel 13 after a re-scan. This will force a reorganisation of some other channels: More4 moves to 14, E4 moves to 29, E4+1 remains on channel 30, and Film4 moves to 32. Viewers who do not re-scan can keep the previous (more sensible) channel order and watch Channel 4+1 on 32.

Teachers’ TV broadcasting hours slashed

Teachers’ TV will see its broadcasting hours slashed on Freeview from September 10, when the channel will only be available from 16:00 to 17:00 each day. At launch, the channel was available for six hours overnight; this was reduced to the current two when the Top Up TV Anytime service launched. It now appears another set of changes is imminent – Top Up TV are rumoured to be adding two new channels to the service in September – and Teachers' TV will be losing out.

Top Up TV strengthens board

Jim Hytner has joined Top Up TV as commercial director. Hynter, who has previously worked with company founders David Chance and Nick Markham at Sky and ITV, has also worked for Five and ITV Digital. On the appointment, Chance said “This is an extremely exciting time for our business. We have ambitious plans for the months and years ahead and today's announcement underlines this”.

Article: Chaos Theory

You can read The Guardian’s Oliver Burkeman’s article on the scare-mongering surrounding the digital switchover process here.

50% of households 100% digital

Half of all UK households have access to digital television on every television set, according to Ofcom and Digital UK. The survey also revealed that 87% of people are now aware of the switchover, the highest figure since the quarterly review began.

Currys to sell Setanta set-top boxes

Setanta Sports-ready set-top boxes and subscription cards will be available to buy from Currys from later this month. The electrical chain has ordered 200,000 boxes to sell, and join Tesco and Comet in their support for Setanta’s subscription service. The latest figures suggest that Setanta has around 2.5 million customers in the UK and Ireland, 1.1 million of whom subscribe to the £9.99 service (the rest receive the channels free with their Virgin Media cable package).

UKTV consider launching G2 on Freeview

UKTV are reportedly considering replacing lifestyle channel UKTV Bright Ideas with a revamped version of entertainment channel UKTV G2. Bright Ideas is tailor-made for Freeview, promoting the family of UKTV lifestyle channels available on other platforms. Virgin Media’s equivalent entertainment channel, FTN, is also to be replaced, later this year. Both channels currently timeshare broadcast capacity on Freeview.

First Freeview multiplex on-air in Whitehaven

The first digital multiplex to be broadcast in Whitehaven, the first region of the UK to undergo digital switchover, has commenced transmissions. A temporary version of multiplex A carrying only one channel – Five – will be broadcast to the town until the rest of the Border region completes the switchover process in 2009: at this stage, Five will be carried on one of the new PSB (public service broadcaster) multiplexes along with the BBC’s services. According to one Freeview-equipped Whitehaven News reader, “the picture quality is brilliant” – not surprising, considering it’s being broadcast at 24,000 kbps!

Ridiculous EPG shuffle planned for C4 channels

If someone in the street had told me this story, I’d have laughed them out of town. Sadly, it’s been confirmed that Channel 4’s entire family of digital channels will move to new channel numbers when Channel 4+1 launches on August 20… on channel 13. This means More4 has to move to 14. That means that E4 moves from a prime EPG position to channel 29! E4+1 stays on 30, Film4 moves to 32, and Film4+1 disappears altogether. Which only adds insult to injury, really.

Channel 4+1 to replace Film4+1 - confirmed

Channel 4 have confirmed on their website’s forum that Channel 4+1 will replace Film4+1 on Freeview when it launches on August 20. The timeshifted version of Film4 will continue to broadcast on other platforms.

Changes afoot on multiplex B... again.

After reporting (in good faith, mind) that multiplex B would no longer carry the Engineering Channel back in June, multiplex B will no longer carry the Engineering Channel from August 3. The channel, which broadcasts software updates for receivers to download, will remain on multiplex 1. Several theories surround what the move signifies: the BBC could be moving their radio stations not currently on one of their multiplexes to B, or they could be preparing the multiplex for overnight HD broadcasts.

33 million people: “What Switchover?”

33 million people are still unsure when digital switchover will occur in their region, according to a survey conducted for middleman website uswitch.com. The Border region was the most aware – useful, as they’ll be the first region to switch next year – but only 7% of Midlanders were able to correctly name the date for analogue switch-off there.

Nuts TV to launch on Freeview

Yes, seriously. Broadcast are reporting that lads’ magazine spin-off Nuts TV will launch on Freeview on September 12, broadcasting between 21:00 and 01:00 every night. The channel is currently broadcast online, and will be live 5 nights a week, with recorded content on the other two. The channel plans to launch on other platforms later.

Bulletin: Top Up TV, HDTV, PlayStation 3 TV?

Following the launch of the Showcase channel, Top Up TV will carry on-demand programming from British Eurosport from July 25. The future of the live stream – currently just two and a half hours in the morning – has always looked uncertain, but now looks increasingly likely to be scrapped. In other news, Ofcom have claimed that up to 4 High Definition channels could be launched on Freeview if the broadcasters accept its plans to re-arrange the multiplexes. In all likelihood, the plan is unlikely to ever be considered seriously, as all the major channels have been lobbying for an entirely new mux to be created for HD. Finally, you could soon be watching Freeview on your PlayStation 3 (assuming you have yours already): reports suggest Sony are developing an add-on to the next-generation console which would convert the machine into a PVR.

"4 Music" planned to replace The Hits

Channel 4 and Emap are planning to launch their new joint-venture music channel in January. According to Brand Republic, the service known as "4 Music" will replace The Hits on Freeview early next year.

BT Vision Sport unveiled

BT have released details of their DTT-plus-broadband service BT Vision’s new sports service. 242 Premier League football matches and 125 Football League games will be available over the course of next season on-demand a few hours after the final whistle: subscription to this service costs £4/month. For £12/month, this offering is enhanced with access to Setanta Sports’ channel. Individual matches will cost £1.99 each.

CBBC to extend hours?

Broadcast are reporting that the BBC plan to re-launch the CBBC Channel and extend its broadcasting hours to 21:00. The move would require a change to the current timesharing arrangement between CBBC and BBC Three, which uses the kids channel’s bandwidth when it closes at 19:00. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Five Life will extend its hours to midnight, but this extra programming will not be available to Freeview viewers (as the channel timeshares with Television X).

The Audi Channel on the way to Top Up TV

Top Up TV have signed up The Audi Channel and National Lottery operator Camelot as content providers for its downloads service. The channels will contribute to the new “Showcase” service, which initial reports suggest will be a daily 15-minute block of programmes from a variety of sources, similar to ‘preview’ channels on cable.

100 days to Switchover: Whitehaven prepares

A survey conducted by Ofcom and Digital UK has revealed that all 25,000 households in the Whitehaven region – the first to switch to digital-only television in 100 days time – plan to convert to digital. The news allays fears that a small hardcore of “digital refuseniks” would not attempt to convert and abandon television altogether in protest.

Ofcom publish post-switchover frequencies

Ofcom has published the frequencies of and strengths at which digital multiplexes will be broadcast post-switchover. The document currently only lists details for main transmitters; full details for each reason will be published closer to each switch – the plan for the Border region can be found here.

Channel 4+1 to launch on August 20

Channel 4 will become the first of the major terrestrial broadcasters to launch a timeshifted version of their flagship channel when Channel 4+1 launches on all digital platforms (including Freeview) on August 20. Five will launch “+1” versions of Five US and Life on satellite this autumn.