New Freeview Channel to be Auctioned Off

MediaGuardian article



First off, I thought Freeview was full. Where has this space come from? I hope they're not reducing bitrate / resolution of existing channels to accommodate a new one. Or is this the space vacated by ABC1? If so, is this a daytime only slot?

It could be interesting to see who gets it. I would have thought UKTV would love the chance to get Watch on there. Or maybe Virgin might grab it to make Virgin1 24 hours a day.

Lets hope it goes to a channel which will add a bit of value to Freeview, rather than a tinpot shopping channel or another Smile TV type one-handed channel.

I believe ITV took this slot and used it to move CiTV to this slot and use the freed up space to allow ITV4 to go 24hr.

It's definitely a 24 hour slot

Just read this on DS, which kind of answers my question...



Which raises another question, if they can do this on one muliplex, are we to expect further new channels available on other mux's?

I'd expect so, eventually, as the improved encoders are rolled out.

It's a little like what Sky have been doing with it's HD channels. At launch, the MPEG 4 encoders were nowhere near performing as expected, and they could only get away with 2 channels on a transponder, with really high bitrates. Now they're using a new generation of encoders which compress much more effeciently, meaning they can get away with 3 or even 4 channels per transponder, with little or no loss of picture quality (the other side effect of which is that recordings take up much less space in the planner due to the lower bitrates).

As it's an Arqiva channel I would guess it's probably on Mux C, which currently has 5 channels, while Mux D has 6.

I wouldn't want ITV, C4 or Five to get it unless it was going to be used as an interactive channel, rather than them creating a new channel just for the sake of it (or another +1).

As said Watch or a 24/7 Virgin 1 would probably be the front runners - though if Virgin got it it wouldn't surprise me if UKTV grabbed their 12 hour slot and put Watch on the channel, possibly even dumping UKTV History.

I thought UKTV were gung-ho about keeping Watch & Gold as pay-channels (something about "showing their commitment to pay-TV" in the wake of Dave's success on Freeview).

There's also the question of channel numbers - anything new would go in as 47, behind such gems as two Smile TVs, two Gems TVs, and four Anytime slots. Even if someone with a non-24hr slot higher up the EPG gets it and uses that number for the new channel, that would be surrendering their existing slot to be dumped at 47. In the case of Virgin1's primetime 6pm-6am slot in particular, that would be costly in the long-term unless they could buy out one of the "missing" slots from whoever owns them. (AFAICS; 15, 25 and 27 are currently unused. Although UKTV also have 17 and 26 for part-time pay channels and Virgin/Flextech have 22-24 for shopping channels, I suppose).

I'm surprised no one ever tried to claim 15 - especially now ITV is using the slot to broadcast CITV I'd have thought they'd be after the EPG number for ITV4 too.

I suspect if UKTV got the slot they'd move one of their pay-TV channels lower down the EPG. Otherwise though it's a good point - being at 47 seriously devalues the slot - and Freeview as a whole.

Really the EPG needs another shake up - and Freeview need to put their foot down and dump Top Up TV and the Shopping Channels out of the general entertainment section and give them channels of their own in the 50s and 60s, which pretty much frees up the 20s for the more popular channels. The annoying thing though is rather than put the channels in any sort of logical order they'd probably just move them all up the EPG and fill the gaps.


Back to the channel itself and really outside of Virgin, UKTV and ITV/C4/Five, are there any likely candidates to go for it?

Well, there's always the chance of another shopping channel springing up. Assuming a "good" channel will get it is a risky assumption.

Bearing in mind the current economic situation and the depressed ad market, some shopping outfit or Setanta has to be favourite, unless TopUp could find a use to re-introduce a linear service of G.O.L.D or similar. I just simply can't see a current Pay channel taking the gamble of going FTA at present.