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C4 pay £55m for more digital capacity

Space for upto 14 new channels. (September 2004)

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BR
Brekkie
Full article: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,1306647,00.html

Quote:
Channel 4 is hiring space on the Astra 2D satellite for about 14 channels, though the number will depend on the use of interactive services, which can demand nearly as much capacity as a broadcast channel. The government-owned channel has no immediate plans to launch new ventures on 2D, but the satellite is running out of capacity and the broadcaster booked the space as an insurance policy.


Most will be for interactive services, but I could see C4 launching a +1 service of the main C4 station and the new More4, plus possibly extending existing brands FilmFour, E4 and T4. (A specific T4 channel, a new FilmFour channel and maybe an E4 Live channel to cover events such as Big Brother Live and music festivals etc). C4 are also planning a new digital radio service.

The article also says that in addition to more regional and interactive services, ITV will also be adding a time-delayed version of ITV1 to their channel line-up. (I'd guess time delayed version of ITV2/3 wouldn't be too far behind!)
WE
Westy2
Time delay of ITV1 !

They'd need some satelites, if they were doing all the regions !
TV
TVdaz
No! Not more ITV1s. One of them is bad enough!
NI
nimdy
Brekkie Boy posted:
...plus possibly extending existing brands FilmFour, E4 and T4. (A specific T4 channel, a new FilmFour channel and maybe an E4 Live channel to cover events such as Big Brother Live and music festivals etc). C4 are also planning a new digital radio service.


I doubt a new FilmFour channel will be on the cards - channel4 had to play around with the channels recently due to bad viewing figures.
BC
Blake Connolly Founding member
Hopefully back to more than one Big Brother feed next time round!
NH
Nick Harvey Founding member
Westy2 posted:
Time delay of ITV1 !

They'd need some satelites, if they were doing all the regions !

Keep up, Westy, keep up!

ITV have also bought two more transponders.

See this thread.
IS
Inspector Sands
Westy2 posted:
Time delay of ITV1 !

They'd need some satelites, if they were doing all the regions !


Mind you a time shift of Channel 4 would need all 6 of their regions too
BB
Big Brother Founding member
Inspector Sands posted:
Westy2 posted:
Time delay of ITV1 !

They'd need some satelites, if they were doing all the regions !


Mind you a time shift of Channel 4 would need all 6 of their regions too


Aren't the regions on C4 just for the trailers? Seems a bit pointless just for that.
IS
Inspector Sands
Big Brother posted:
Aren't the regions on C4 just for the trailers? Seems a bit pointless just for that.


No they're for adverts
BR
Brekkie
Inspector Sands posted:
Westy2 posted:
Time delay of ITV1 !

They'd need some satelites, if they were doing all the regions !


Mind you a time shift of Channel 4 would need all 6 of their regions too


How many versions of C4 are on Sky then?

Wouldn't a +1 channel just use one set of ads - and also, do +1 channels repeat the ads as well, or do they have their own set of adverts and idents?
NG
noggin Founding member
Brekkie Boy posted:
Inspector Sands posted:
Westy2 posted:
Time delay of ITV1 !

They'd need some satelites, if they were doing all the regions !


Mind you a time shift of Channel 4 would need all 6 of their regions too


How many versions of C4 are on Sky then?

Wouldn't a +1 channel just use one set of ads - and also, do +1 channels repeat the ads as well, or do they have their own set of adverts and idents?


I think there are 6 C4 regions on satellite - just as there are terrestrially. I think the acronym you could see on the Teletext status pages as LEMNUS (London, East, Midlands, North, Ulster, Scotland?) There was no Wales because of S4C.

Can you imagine how angry advertisers would be if they paid for an advert on C4 in Scotland in a specific programme, only for viewers there to see a different advert if they were watching that programme on a +1 channel. The whole POINT of putting the C4 regions on satellite was so that the advertisers would still be able to target their viewers regionally...

Most +1 channels are straight delays of the existing services with a different DOG - so even the time references are out by an hour. They don't, in my experience, run separate presentation operations etc. - they are straight one hour delays (presumably this could be done through a profile or similar rather than running a dual presentation chain)
BR
Brekkie
noggin posted:
Can you imagine how angry advertisers would be if they paid for an advert on C4 in Scotland in a specific programme, only for viewers there to see a different advert if they were watching that programme on a +1 channel. The whole POINT of putting the C4 regions on satellite was so that the advertisers would still be able to target their viewers regionally...


But advertisers would know what they are buying. I can't see them having more than 1 +1 feed. Advertising space would be sold for C4 Scotland on the basis it's shown only on the main channel. I imagine the London source would be used for advertising on the +1 channel. so advertisers on C4 London would know their ads also appear on the +1 channel.

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