Its a bit of a long-winded name isnt it? surely Virgin TV 1 would do. it might help the channel though because ftn hasnt made a good impression on viewers.
FTN always needed a bit of variety. These three shows, especially Krypton Factor, which isn't even on Challenge anymore, is a good thing.
I would like to see more shows from Bravo and Trouble though, as well as more from Challenge. I'd like to see FTN show the likes of these though...
Trouble: Fresh Prince of Bel Air, My Wife and Kids
Bravo: World's Most Amazing Videos, Dog The Bounty Hunter, The A-Team
Challenge: Bruce's Price Is Right, Play Your Cards Right, Family Fortunes, (return of) Telly Addicts, Catchphrase, Takeshi's Castle, Extreme Dodgeball
Of course, if this was to happen, I think they'd have to extend the hours, which they need to do anyway!
If Challenge TV are going to be showing the Kids Specials of The Crystal Maze in the New Year, will this mean that FTN will subsequently show them also? As I have never seen 2 of those kids specials. Yet, I've seen the rest of the 6 series originally transmitted on Channel 4.
Flextech channels may go free in Sky row
Sky is involved in a clash with Flextech, the programming arm of cable TV operator NTL, which could see well-known channels such as Living, Bravo and Trouble dropped from Sky's subscription offer and go free-to-air.
Quote:
Industry insiders claim Sky plans to slash the amount of subscription revenue it gives to Flextech when a five-year transmission deal runs out in January.
Quote:
In response, Flextech is threatening to make the channels free-to-air, even though subscription currently makes up 40% of its revenue.
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Flextech has a limited presence on Freeview and has preferred the subscription model. However, as capacity becomes available, Flextech could move them onto Freeview.
v. interesting. IMO if these channels were made available to freeview owners, they would all be necessary additions to the freeview lineup.
Bravo- would take over were m&m left off
Living TV-a beefed up and much improved ftn
Trouble-a channel for teenagers, no competetion other than t4.
Challenge: would be completely unique from other channels on the platform
v. interesting. IMO if these channels were made available to freeview owners, they would all be necessary additions to the freeview lineup.
Bravo- would take over were m&m left off
Living TV-a beefed up and much improved ftn
Trouble-a channel for teenagers, no competetion other than t4.
Challenge: would be completely unique from other channels on the platform
Trouble (no pun intended) is... where would they go? OK they could buy Film4+1's space off C4, and boot off UKTV Sh!te Ideas, but what else, where else?
Flextech channels may go free in Sky row
Sky is involved in a clash with Flextech, the programming arm of cable TV operator NTL, which could see well-known channels such as Living, Bravo and Trouble dropped from Sky's subscription offer and go free-to-air.
...
Industry insiders claim Sky plans to slash the amount of subscription revenue it gives to Flextech when a five-year transmission deal runs out in January.
...
In response, Flextech is threatening to make the channels free-to-air, even though subscription currently makes up 40% of its revenue.
v. interesting. IMO if these channels were made available to freeview owners, they would all be necessary additions to the freeview lineup.
Bravo- would take over were m&m left off
Living TV-a beefed up and much improved ftn
Trouble-a channel for teenagers, no competetion other than t4.
Challenge: would be completely unique from other channels on the platform
Trouble (no pun intended) is... where would they go? OK they could buy Film4+1's space off C4, and boot off UKTV Sh!te Ideas, but what else, where else?
that would be the problem. the article talks about 'the growing space available on the freeview platform' but there is no free space at present. C4 has been struggling to think off a channel to replace film4+1 in the long term,
UKTV B' ideas is pathetic and could easily be shut down all platforms. hopefully if these channels went fta then flextech would shut down ftn as what would be the point of it? so theres 3 spaces but im strugling to think of any more.
v. interesting. IMO if these channels were made available to freeview owners, they would all be necessary additions to the freeview lineup.
Bravo- would take over were m&m left off
Living TV-a beefed up and much improved ftn
Trouble-a channel for teenagers, no competetion other than t4.
Challenge: would be completely unique from other channels on the platform
Trouble (no pun intended) is... where would they go? OK they could buy Film4+1's space off C4, and boot off UKTV Sh!te Ideas, but what else, where else?
that would be the problem. the article talks about 'the growing space available on the freeview platform' but there is no free space at present. C4 has been struggling to think off a channel to replace film4+1 in the long term,
UKTV B' ideas is pathetic and could easily be shut down all platforms. hopefully if these channels went fta then flextech would shut down ftn as what would be the point of it? so theres 3 spaces but im strugling to think of any more.
Where has this idea come from that C4 can't think of anything to replace Film4+1 - give them chance. Film4+1 fills the slot nicely (and more importantly cheaply) giving C4 time to plan their next digital channel - and to get the money and rights in place for what they want to do. I wouldn't expect anything to replace Film4+1 till next Summer at the earliest. (I've given up hope on an interactive feed for Celebrity Big Brother).
Sooner or later Sky just has to come unstuck in the way it monopolises the digital satellite platform, preventing channels from joining the EPG when they have the space and the numbers available - and basically getting their own way regardless of what the broadcasters want.
Take C4 for example - as soon as E4 became available on Freeview Sky stopped giving them a slice of their revenue - but still encrypts the channel.
More4 was expected to be FTA - even by C4 themselves - but Sky had other ideas and seemingly there has been little C4 could do about it!
And virtually all channels launched by ITV have failed to appear on Sky at launch - with pathetic excuses such as there being a queue to join the EPG when the channels had been announced months in advance.
I've always said Sky should be split into a content provider (for the channels) and a service provider (for the Sky Digital platform) - but I'm beginning to doubt even that goes far enough and that instead an independent consortium should have the responsibility of dealing with issues such as this.
P.S. Not sure how workable it would be but out of interest if instead of buying the bundles of channels Sky decides you could decide to subscribe to like the UKTV family of channels, do you think that would improve the situation or just lead to smaller channels being even worse off?
P.P.S. Fingers cross the best way of getting on the platform would be to buy out Sit Up TV, close down their Freeview shopping channels (Bid Up, Price Drop) and use the space to broadcast Living and a second channel.
