ABC1 now on Sky

ABC1 has today started testing on Sky.

10.862 H
SR:22000
FEC:5/6

Channel name: '9010'

Finally

Ah, about time! I've been waiting for ABC1 to appear on Sky for ages. I can now watch Home Improvement. Do you have any idea when ABC1 is officially launching on Sky?

There has been rumours, and I cannot see why not.

That can't be good from a disney channel point of view. Bout 50% of the programming on the disney channel will now be available for viewers with just the family pack.

I thought that abc1 was a good channel for Freeview, as they didn't have much without Top Up TV.

But making a big move to Sky, they should either make it run 24-7 or at least make it transmit longer each day!

I think people are forgetting the original ethos of abc1 - that it was to be a "daytime" network, specifically catering for people who want to watch something alternative to Diagnosis Murder and ITV Day's pathetic offerings. In fact "Daytime" was its working title. Having said that I wouldn't grumble about it moving to 24 hours - however with TCM occupying the other half of its airtime on DTT's Mux A, it is unlikely to do so in the near future.

PS Does anyone know if or when I can see the episode of 8 Simple Rules immediately following John Ritter's death - the hour long special "Goodbye" ?

abc1 have shown it, though I only think this has been done about twice, as the episodes as you can guess are sad and at times upsetting, its why Disney Channel didn't show them.

Actually, it was shown on the Disney Channel, the first part was shown at 6pm, and both parts were shown at 10pm, the second part never got shown at 6pm for some reason or another. It's been show I'd say a few times since then, but not recently.

I still fail to understand why the Disney Channel can't be commercial and available to more viewers? It wouldn't do them any harm, and their potential audience would shoot up.

I would say its some contractual issue they have with sky, which may take years to get out of. I'm sure E4 have that current problem of still being on the family package, not free to air like ITV2/BBC on sky etc.

Yep, E4 wont be FTA on Sky until 2007.